Intergenerational Transfers in Italy

In this paper we examine the role of intergenerational transfers in the wealth accumulation of Italian households. Received transfers represent an important share of the net wealth held by households. Direct estimates referring to 2002 range from 30 to 55 per cent, depending on the inclusion of the income stream produced by transferred assets. This share has shown a tendency to increase over the last decade. In a lifetime perspective, the ratio of transfers received over the whole life span to the total amount of resources, both computed at the age of 15, is on average equal to 4.6 per cent, a significant share considering the size of the denominator. Transfers are very concentrated, more than income and wealth, even when considered in a lifetime perspective. Households receiving transfers show higher levels of lifetime income, consumption, net wealth and given transfers than non-recipient households. Richer households receive larger transfers but, as a proportion of their current wealth holdings, transfers are greater for poorer households than richer ones. These results cannot be interpreted as an equalising effect of transfers, because people tend to react to transfers, changing their saving and consumption behaviour. The correlation between transfers (received or expected over the whole life span) and lifetime income is positive. Again, richer households receive greater inheritances and other wealth transfers than poorer households; as a proportion of their lifetime income, transfers are greater for poorer households than richer ones. This result is likely to be due to the much more important role played by family background variables than bequests as factors of transmission of inequality of lifetime resources. Finally, we find a positive relationship between left-to-children bequests and received-from-parents inheritances; this relationship holds even after controlling for lifetime resources, suggesting the importance of the role of family traditions.Households, Wealth, Intergenerational transfers

Capital Gains and Wealth Distribution in Italy

This paper analyses the impact of capital gains on the level and distribution of wealth held by Italian households between 1989 and 2005. The evaluation of these issues is achieved using both macro and micro data in order to obtain a more robust result. The estimation of capital gains through macro data is obtained using national accounts data while micro data from the Bank of Italy’s Survey of Household Income and Wealth are used to reconstruct capital gains accounting for price variations in the single assets composing wealth and for households’ idiosyncratic characteristics. Capital gains, defined as in the national accounts, explain about 40 per cent of the growth in real per capita wealth observed over the whole period, and about one-third of the growth in wealth concentration. Using capital gains reconstruction we estimate that households’ inter-temporal mobility between wealth classes is significantly affected by capital gains, to which 20 per cent of the observed transitions can be ascribed. Furthermore, capital gains take second place among the determinants of wealth variations at the household level, behind savings but ahead of intergenerational transfers.keywords: Households, Wealth, Saving, Capital gains

Intergenerational Transfers in Italy

In this paper we examine the role of intergenerational transfers in the wealth accumulation of Italian households. Received transfers represent an important share of the net wealth held by households. Direct estimates referring to 2002 range from 30 to 55 per cent, depending on the inclusion of the income stream produced by transferred assets. This share has shown a tendency to increase over the last decade. In a lifetime perspective, the ratio of transfers received over the whole life span to the total amount of resources, both computed at the age of 15, is on average equal to 4.6 per cent, a significant share considering the size of the denominator. Transfers are very concentrated, more than income and wealth, even when considered in a lifetime perspective. Households receiving transfers show higher levels of lifetime income, consumption, net wealth and given transfers than non-recipient households. Richer households receive larger transfers but, as a proportion of their current wealth holdings, transfers are greater for poorer households than richer ones. These results cannot be interpreted as an equalising effect of transfers, because people tend to react to transfers, changing their saving and consumption behaviour. The correlation between transfers (received or expected over the whole life span) and lifetime income is positive. Again, richer households receive greater inheritances and other wealth transfers than poorer households; as a proportion of their lifetime income, transfers are greater for poorer households than richer ones. This result is likely to be due to the much more important role played by family background variables than bequests as factors of transmission of inequality of lifetime resources. Finally, we find a positive relationship between left-to-children bequests and received-from-parents inheritances; this relationship holds even after controlling for lifetime resources, suggesting the importance of the role of family traditions

Capital Gains and Wealth Distribution in Italy

This paper analyses the impact of capital gains on the level and distribution of wealth held by Italian households between 1989 and 2005. The evaluation of these issues is achieved using both macro and micro data in order to obtain a more robust result. The estimation of capital gains through macro data is obtained using national accounts data while micro data from the Bank of Italy’s Survey of Household Income and Wealth are used to reconstruct capital gains accounting for price variations in the single assets composing wealth and for households’ idiosyncratic characteristics. Capital gains, defined as in the national accounts, explain about 40 per cent of the growth in real per capita wealth observed over the whole period, and about one-third of the growth in wealth concentration. Using capital gains reconstruction we estimate that households’ inter-temporal mobility between wealth classes is significantly affected by capital gains, to which 20 per cent of the observed transitions can be ascribed. Furthermore, capital gains take second place among the determinants of wealth variations at the household level, behind savings but ahead of intergenerational transfers