Policy packages for families with children in 11 European countries: Multiple approaches

Jeanne Fagnani (1) , Antoine Math (2)

1 CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne
2 IRES - Institut de recherches économiques et sociales

Using the model family method, we compared the social and fiscal systems in 11 EU member states for providing financial resources to households with children. We then used these comparisons to answer the following questions: After the impact of various benefits and taxes, what is the difference in the net disposable income of a childless couple compared with a family with children where both families have the same income? To what extent are certain systems of transfers utilized as an instrument of horizontal redistribution? To what extent are certain transfers used as a means of vertical redistribution? How do transfers for families with an identical number of children vary according to the families' income levels?
Austria is far and away the most generous country when it comes to cash provision to families. Nevertheless, levels of fertility remain low resembling those of Germany. Bringing up the rear at the opposite end of the spectrum is the Netherlands. France, Belgium, Austria, and to a lesser degree, Germany all tend to favour large families with France and Belgium becoming rather less favourable than the other two when it comes to providing assistance to couples and lone parent families with only one child. The Nordic countries, the UK and Ireland are all distinguished by a strong emphasis on vertical redistribution, favouring families with modest revenues. Our results confirm arguments in favor of promoting measures that place greater emphasis on benefits in kind over simple cash benefits.

Mots clés: child benefits; tax systems; family allowances; fertility outcomes; uropean countries; packages

Domaines: Sociologie

Jeanne Fagnani, Antoine Math. Policy packages for families with children in 11 European countries: Multiple approaches. Arnlaug Leira, Chiara Saraceno. Childhood: Changing contexts, Elsevier, pp.55-78, 2008, Comparative Social Research ; 25, ⟨10.1016/S0195-6310(07)00002-6⟩. ⟨halshs-00268964⟩