Essay on pensions: poverty, inequality and equity.

Summary The aim of this thesis is to provide as complete an overview as possible of poverty and inequality in retirement in France and Europe from the end of the twentieth century to the present, but also to identify the role of certain public policies in the fight against poverty and inequality. Given the economic and demographic constraints on pension systems, studying the sources of inequality and poverty, as well as the effective mechanisms for fighting inequality and poverty in retirement, is currently relevant in order to better anticipate future risks. To do so, we identify poor retired populations, as well as inequality and inequity factors, while defining the central concepts of intra-generational and inter-generational inequality and equity, and also what is pensioner poverty in developed countries today. We first propose a general equilibrium model to evaluate the impacts of economic policy shocks, as well as the consequences of a demographic shock. Then, empirical analyses of inequality and poverty are proposed in order to highlight the link between tax, social protection and redistribution systems on the one hand, and inequality in retirement on the other hand. We conclude that pension systems and the architecture of redistribution, in France and in Europe, have reduced inequality and poverty in retirement. The average standard of living of retired households is now equivalent to that of working households. The reforms of pension systems currently underway will therefore have to take into account not only the deteriorated demographic and economic environment (slowdown in economic growth, increase in the unemployment rate and career hazards, etc.) but also the efficient nature of the redistributive architecture as it exists today.