Partially funded social security and growth

Abstract This paper investigates the relationship between economic growth and the degree of fundedness of a social security system in an overlapping generations model with family altruism. It is shown that the relationship between the degree of fundedness and economic growth is inverted U‐shaped so that a gradual increase in funding may harm growth if bequests are not operative within the family. Our findings put some caution on the conventional view that a higher degree of funded social security is beneficial for growth.