The ‘silver spoon’ is becoming more important in the Netherlands

Arjan Lejour; Rene Schulenberg; Esther Hamelink; Celine van Essen

The ‘silver spoon’ is becoming more important in the Netherlands

Arjan Lejour
, Rene Schulenberg
, Esther Hamelink
, Celine van Essen

Research output: Online publication or Non-textual form › Web publication/site › Other research output

Abstract

Wealthy parents influence their children’s wealth directly – such as through inheritances or gifts – and indirectly, through family and environmental factors. This column compares the wealth positions of parents in the Netherlands in 1992 and their children in 2022. Children with wealthier parents consistently attain higher wealth rankings compared to their peers, especially among families in the top 1% of the wealth distribution. This correlation between parental and children’s wealth has strengthened over the last 20 years, particularly at the top of the wealth distribution.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	London
Publisher	Voxeu
Media of output	Online
Publication status	Published - 15 Aug 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 1 No Poverty
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Keywords

wealth inequality
Netherlands
intergenerational mobility
poverty
Intergenerational wealth

Access to Document

https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/silver-spoon-becoming-more-important-netherlands

Een Steuntje in de Rug: Vermogensmobiliteit van Ouder op Kind
Translated title of the contribution: Support: wealth mobility from parent to childSchulenberg, R., van Essen, C., Hamelink, E. & Lejour, A., 19 Dec 2024, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
Research output: Book/Report › Report

Open Access
File

Cite this

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title = "The {\textquoteleft}silver spoon{\textquoteright} is becoming more important in the Netherlands",

abstract = "Wealthy parents influence their children{\textquoteright}s wealth directly – such as through inheritances or gifts – and indirectly, through family and environmental factors. This column compares the wealth positions of parents in the Netherlands in 1992 and their children in 2022. Children with wealthier parents consistently attain higher wealth rankings compared to their peers, especially among families in the top 1\% of the wealth distribution. This correlation between parental and children{\textquoteright}s wealth has strengthened over the last 20 years, particularly at the top of the wealth distribution.",

keywords = "wealth inequality, Netherlands, intergenerational mobility, poverty, Intergenerational wealth",

author = "Arjan Lejour and Rene Schulenberg and Esther Hamelink and \{van Essen\}, Celine",

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T1 - The ‘silver spoon’ is becoming more important in the Netherlands

AU - Lejour, Arjan

AU - Schulenberg, Rene

AU - Hamelink, Esther

AU - van Essen, Celine

PY - 2025/8/15

Y1 - 2025/8/15

N2 - Wealthy parents influence their children’s wealth directly – such as through inheritances or gifts – and indirectly, through family and environmental factors. This column compares the wealth positions of parents in the Netherlands in 1992 and their children in 2022. Children with wealthier parents consistently attain higher wealth rankings compared to their peers, especially among families in the top 1% of the wealth distribution. This correlation between parental and children’s wealth has strengthened over the last 20 years, particularly at the top of the wealth distribution.

AB - Wealthy parents influence their children’s wealth directly – such as through inheritances or gifts – and indirectly, through family and environmental factors. This column compares the wealth positions of parents in the Netherlands in 1992 and their children in 2022. Children with wealthier parents consistently attain higher wealth rankings compared to their peers, especially among families in the top 1% of the wealth distribution. This correlation between parental and children’s wealth has strengthened over the last 20 years, particularly at the top of the wealth distribution.

KW - wealth inequality

KW - Netherlands

KW - intergenerational mobility

KW - poverty

KW - Intergenerational wealth

M3 - Web publication/site

PB - Voxeu

CY - London

ER -

The ‘silver spoon’ is becoming more important in the Netherlands

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Research output

Een Steuntje in de Rug: Vermogensmobiliteit van Ouder op Kind

Cite this