Eine fiskalische Gesamtbilanz der Zuwanderung nach Deutschland

The paper uses the long-term budget method of generational accounting to evaluate the overall fiscal impact of immigration to Germany. On the basis of a complete balance of life cycle taxes paid and transfer received by native and migrant residents, and accounting for the marginal cost of providing public goods, it is shown that immigration has a positive impact on the intertemporal government budget, even if future migrants do not reach the fiscal capacity of the resident migrant population at once. Further gains for the incumbent population relate to the fact that current fiscal policy is not sustainable. Generational accounting indicates that the increase of individuals’ net fiscal contributions, required to keep the government solvent in the long term, is reduced substantially, if future immigrants share the burden of adjustment.