Redistribution and Insurance in the German Welfare State

Welfare states redistribute both between individuals reducing annual inequality and over the life-cycle insuring against income risks. But studies measuring redistribution often focus only on a one-year period. Using German SOEP data from 1984 to 2009, long-term inequality over a 20-year period is computed and then decomposed into an inter-and intra-individual component. Results show that annual inequality is higher than long-term inequality, but redistribution is also larger from an annual perspective. In the long-term, the German welfare state clearly prioritizes insurance over redistribution. This gets even more pronounced at later stages of the life-cycle through the payment of social security pensions.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Redistribution and Insurance in the German Welfare State ; volume:132 ; number:2 ; year:2012 ; pages:265-295 ; Schmollers Jahrbuch ; 132, Heft 2 (2012), 265-295

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Bartels, Charlotte

Further information

• DOI: 10.3790/schm.132.2.265
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023013010165331254540
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:25 AM CEST