The geography of intergenerational mobility in Europe

Abstract How do opportunities for intergenerational mobility depend on where you live? We address this question using European Social Survey data, studying the association between parents’ and children’s occupation, and how it varies by region of residence. Absolute mobility, largely driven by shifts in occupational structure, differs from relative mobility, which reflects the extent to which opportunities are equal across social origins. Capital regions emerge as hubs of absolute, but not necessarily relative, mobility. Absolute mobility correlates with human capital, labor market, demographic, and spatial factors. In contrast, relative mobility is primarily shaped by economic disparities between social classes. Greater inequality entails less mobility, even comparing different places within a country.