ABSTRACT

This chapter investigates who benefits most from inheritances, who hardly benefits at all, and what this implies for individuals, families and societies. Who has greater or smaller chances of receiving a bequest? What are the relevant causes and inheritance patterns? In what way do population groups and countries differ in this respect? The analyses refer to both past and expected inheritances in order to also find out whether the previous patterns are likely to hold in the future. A particular focus is on connections between family relations and social inequality. Do inheritances favour those who are in greater need, or is wealth handed down the family line more likely to benefit population groups that are already in a considerably better economic situation?