The Gendered Nature of the Cost-of-Living Crisis in Europe

Arbeitspapier

This paper investigates the gendered effects of the cost-of-living crisis on households across six European countries using household consumption data linked to price changes between April 2021 and July 2023. It examines how different consumption patterns between male- and female-headed households influence their exposure to inflation. Exploring the full distribution of inflation rates, employing quantile regressions and a decomposition approach, this research uncovers gender-specific disparities in inflation exposure and inequality. Going beyond the immediate economic index adjustments, it also evaluates the welfare changes attributable to inflation by estimate a behaviourally-adjusted welfare effect of the cost-of-living crisis. Building on the foundational Atkinson welfare measure, this paper innovates by decomposing the change in welfare into equity and efficiency components, differentially for male- and female-headed households. This contribution enriches the consumption literature by providing a detailed gendered analysis of inflation's distributional and welfare effects, aiding policymakers in addressing the nuanced challenges of the cost-of-living crisis.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 16820

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions ; Welfare Economics: General ; Price Level; Inflation; Deflation ; Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty: General ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
• Subject: inflation and gender ; inflation inequality and gender ; distributional effect and gender ; welfare effect and gender

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Sologon, Denisa Maria ; Doorley, Karina ; O'Donoghue, Cathal ; Peluso, Eugenio
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2024

Further information

• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET