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Intra-couple wealth inequality: What's demographics got to do with it?

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  • Rehm, Miriam
  • Schneebaum, Alyssa
  • Schuster, Barbara

Abstract

Existing literature shows that on average and across countries, men have higher levels of wealth than women. However, very little is known about the gender-specific wealth gap within couples. This paper studies this phenomenon. The particular focus of the paper is on the relationship between the demographic characteristics of the couple and the couple's gender wealth gap. We focus on how age, education, marital status, fertility, and migration background are related to the wealth gap within a couple. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, we find that the strongest demographic predictors of an intra-couple wealth gap are the age gap between the members of the couple; the highest level of education; and the composition of migration background in the couple. The gender wealth gap is particularly high in couples with a native-born man and a foreign-born woman.

Suggested Citation

  • Rehm, Miriam & Schneebaum, Alyssa & Schuster, Barbara, 2022. "Intra-couple wealth inequality: What's demographics got to do with it?," ifso working paper series 22, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Socioeconomics (ifso).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:ifsowp:22
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    Cited by:

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    2. Ines Heck & Anna Hornykewycz & Jakob Kapeller & Rafael Wildauer, 2024. "Vermögensverteilung in Österreich: eine Analyse auf Basis des HFCS 2021/22," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 255, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.

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