Este documento revisa la relación entre las pensiones y la pobreza en la vejez luego de los cambios recientes ocurridos en los sistemas previsionales de América Latina producto de la expansión de la cobertura a través de pensiones no contributivas, focalizándose en 18 países alrededor del año 2012. A partir de datos publicados por los organismos ejecutores o administradores de los programas se repasan las estrategias adoptadas en cuanto a su diseño e implementación y se comparan indicadores de desempeño: cobertura, adecuación de beneficios y costo fiscal. Por otro lado, se evalúa la situación demográfica y socio-económica de los adultos mayores en estos países. Los resultados indican que los esquemas elegidos reflejan las distintas realidades a las que se enfrentan los países. El avance de las pensiones no contributivas está asociado a la reducción de la pobreza entre los adultos mayores de la región especialmente en países de amplia cobertura y con beneficios adecuados. A pesar de los avances todavía quedan brechas por cerrar y la pobreza entre los adultos mayores sigue siendo un problema en la región. / This document analyzes how the relationship between pensions and poverty among the elderly is after the recent expansion of non-contributory pension programs in the Latin American region. The analysis is focused in a set of 18 countries around the year 2012. On the one hand, based on data published by management and executive agencies the document revisits the strategies adopted by the countries in relation to program design, implementation and compares performance indicators such as coverage, benefits’ adequacy and fiscal cost. On the other hand, it evaluates the socio-demographic and socio-economic situation of the elderly in these countries. The results indicate that the adopted scheme in each country varies according to its own characteristics. The expansion of non-contributory pensions is associated to the reduction in the poverty among the elderly in the region, especially in those countries with extensive coverage and generous benefits. Despite these improvements, the gaps in coverage and poverty among the elderly are still considered an issue in the region.

This paper estimates rates of return across the gross wealth distribution in eight European countries. Like differential saving rates, differential rates of return matter for Post Keynesian theory, because they impact the income and wealth distribution and add an explosive element to growth models. We show that differential rates of return matter empirically by merging data on household balance sheets with long-run returns for individual asset categories. We find that (1) the composition of wealth differentiates between three socioeconomic groups: 30% are asset-poor, 65% are middle-class home owners, and the top 5% are business-owning capitalists; (2) rates of return rise across all groups; and (3) rates of return broadly follow a log-shaped function across the distribution, where inequality in the lower half of the distribution is higher than in the upper half. If socioeconomic groups are collapsed into the bottom 95% workers and top 5% capitalists, then rates of return are 5.6% for the former and 7.2% for the latter. / Series: Ecological Economic Papers

This paper estimates rates of return across the gross wealth distribution in eight European countries. Like differential saving rates, differential rates of return matter for Post Keynesian theory, because they impact the income and wealth distribution and add an explosive element to growth models. We show that differential rates of return matter empirically by merging data on household balance sheets with long-run returns for individual asset categories. We find that (1) the composition of wealth differentiates between three socioeconomic groups: 30% are asset-poor, 65% are middle-class home owners, and the top 5% are business-owning capitalists; (2) rates of return rise across all groups; and (3) rates of return broadly follow a log-shaped function across the distribution, where inequality in the lower half of the distribution is higher than in the upper half. If socioeconomic groups are collapsed into the bottom 95% workers and top 5% capitalists, then rates of return are 5.6% for the former and 7.2% for the latter. / Series: Ecological Economic Papers