Intergenerational Transfers in Spain: The Role of Education

Abstract

This paper shows the estimates of National Transfer Accounts (NTA) for Spain in 2006 disaggregated by education level. Overall, our results indicate that, besides age population composition, education level has a big impact on the economic behavior of households and, hence, on the aggregate economy. Educated households tend to participate more and longer in the labor market, to produce more and, consequently, to consume more. As differences in consumption are lower than in labor income, they are able to contribute to the public system with higher taxes and contributions, and they depend less on public transfers over their lifecycle. Therefore, education seems to be crucial to sustain the welfare state in an ageing society.