In this paper we address the question how the generosity of the benefit rule of the German public pension system has changed during the past three decades and how this development can be explained by demographic changes. Firstly, we illustrate the political risk of benefit rule changes for...

In Zeiten der gesellschaftlichen Alterung befindet sich die Rentenpolitik im Zwiespalt zwischen politisch opportunen Leistungsausweitungen und fiskalischer Nachhaltigkeit. Die langfristigen fiskalischen Auswirkungen von leistungsausweitenden Maßnahmen und eine generationengerechte Ausgestaltung...

We present new empirical evidence on the distribution of earnings, income and wealth among entrepreneurs in Germany. We document that both earnings and income are more concentrated among entrepreneurs than among workers and describe a large-scale overlapping-generations model that can replicate...

In der Märzausgabe 2023 veröffentlichte der Wirtschaftsdienst einen Aufsatz mit dem Titel „Schuldentragfähigkeit mit impliziten Staatsschulden – Leitbild oder Irrlicht?“ von Jan Priewe. Hagen Krämer und Carl Christian von Weizsäcker vertreten in einer Replik eine andere Auffassung, im...

Demographic change inevitably shifts the balance between contributors and recipients in the pension system. Moreover, in the German pension system benefit levels are closely linked to the current state of economic prosperity. Therefore, in the coming decades stabilisation of old-age security...

Das Gesetz über Leistungsverbesserungen in der Gesetzlichen Rentenversicherung ist am 1.7.2014 in Kraft getreten. Zu einer Reduktion der Altersarmut - wie die Aussagen im Bundestagswahlkampf 2013 vermuten ließen - trägt zumindest die abschlagsfreie Rente mit 63 nicht bei. Die Autoren aus dem...

The demographic development in Germany will lead to a declining number of people of working age and thus potentially in the labour force. The age structure is shifting towards older cohorts. The labour force will decline by 16 million workers between 2020 and 2060. However, an increase in the...

Recent reforms that aim at reducing the upcoming burdens of population ageing might seriously harm low income individuals. An increase in old-age poverty and disability will be the result. Under this prospect, the present paper quantitatively characterizes the optimal progressivity of unfunded...

Thanks to the reform process between 1992 and 2007, Germany was in a very good position to master demographic change. These reforms were farsighted, they stabilised the public pension system and they significantly increased employment, the foundation of every old age provision. The “Pension...