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A Comparison of National Saving Rates in the UK, US and Italy

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  • Tatiana Kirsanova

Abstract

We develop the approach of Gokhale, Kotlikoff & Sabelhaus (1996), based on the lifecycle model of savings, to decompose the differences in the national saving rates between the UK, US and Italy. Our work suggests that the US saving rate is lower principally because Americans on average retire later. In contrast, the Italian saving rate is higher predominantly because Italians are credit constrained, particularly when young. We also found that demography and the different tax and benefit systems are able to explain little of the cross-sectional differences in saving rates. The study accounts for the possible importance of intergenerational private transfers in determining saving rates.

Suggested Citation

  • Tatiana Kirsanova, 2006. "A Comparison of National Saving Rates in the UK, US and Italy," National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) Discussion Papers 278, National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:nsr:niesrd:278
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    2. Kirsanova, Tatiana & Sefton, James, 2007. "A comparison of national saving rates in the UK, US and Italy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(8), pages 1998-2028, November.
    3. Magdalena Osinska & Kinga Wasilewska, 2020. "Students’ Attitudes Towards Savings and Investment: The Case of Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 1068-1085.
    4. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2010. "The Impact of Structural Policies on Saving, Investment and Current Accounts," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 815, OECD Publishing.
    5. Clovis Kerdrain & Isabell Koske & Isabelle Wanner, 2011. "Current Account Imbalances: can Structural Reforms Help to Reduce Them?," OECD Journal: Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2011(1), pages 1-44.
    6. Néstor Gandelman, 2017. "Do the rich save more in Latin America?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(1), pages 75-92, March.
    7. Wolfgang Britz & Roberto Roson, 2018. "Exploring Long Run Structural Change with a Dynamic General Equilibrium Model," Working Papers 2018: 12, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    8. Wiesław Dębski & Bartosz Świderski, 2016. "An Allocation Analysis of Polish Household Savings Invested in Financial Assets, 2003 – 2014," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 10(2), June.
    9. Wolfgang Britz & Roberto Roson, 2019. "G-RDEM: A GTAP-Based Recursive Dynamic CGE Model for Long-Term Baseline Generation and Analysis," Journal of Global Economic Analysis, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, vol. 4(1), pages 50-96, June.
    10. Néstor Gandelman, 2017. "Do the rich save more in Latin America?," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(1), pages 75-92, March.
    11. Fernando Alexandre & Luís Aguiar Conraria & Pedro Bação & Miguel Portela, 2011. "A Poupança em Portugal," GEMF Working Papers 2011-19, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    12. John Ashton & Andros Gregoriou & Jerome V. Healy, 2013. "The relative influence of price and choice factors on retail deposit quantities," Working Papers 13006, Bangor Business School, Prifysgol Bangor University (Cymru / Wales).
    13. Nestor Gandelman, "undated". "A comparison of saving rates: micro evidence from sixteen Latin American andCaribbean countries," Documentos de Investigación 101, Universidad ORT Uruguay. Facultad de Administración y Ciencias Sociales.
    14. Yoichi Matsubayashi & Takao Fujii, 2012. "Substitutability of Savings by Sectors: OECD Experiences," Discussion Papers 1215, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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