Intergenerational Mobility in South Asia

Abstract

This article analyses the movement of intergenerational mobility (IGM) in South Asia from birth cohorts comprising 1950–1980 using the World Bank’s data on IGM. The article compares the IGM movements across countries to account for the causal factors of the IGM. Exploratory data analysis and Bayesian regression have been used in this study for empirical analysis. We note that in the past three decades, the share of primary parental education in South Asia constitutes 79% of the total, while the children who achieved the highest level of education constitute only 10%. Children in Sri Lanka have been enrolled in school for the greatest number of years, but the absolute IGM in India is greater than Sri Lanka. Bhutan lags in average years of educational attainment, yet their relative mobility surpasses every country in South Asia. The likelihood that Pakistani children’s status shall be independent of their parental status is as low as 20%. Despite variation in parental education, absolute IGM in India is highest in South Asia. Variation in parental education reduces the degree of independence in the next generation. Relative measure of mobility is a better indicator of social mobility than the absolute measure. JEL Codes: I21, I24, I28, J24, J62, N35