A Contribution to the Estimation of Equivalence Scales in Poland

The main goal of this work is estimating general equivalence scales for Poland using different methods like: Engel method, Almost Ideal Demand System, Quadratic AIDS and Non-linear Preference System. A second is making a comparison of average welfare of different types of household with the welfare of childless couples during the period from 1993 to 2000. For all calculations we use yearly data from 1993-2000, collected during the household budget surveys carried out by the Polish Central Statistical Office. Here we consider the following groups of households: married couples without children, married couples with one child, married couples with two children, married couples with three children, married couples with four and more children and mother alone with children. In the period 1993-2000 families with more than two children attain on average a standard of living which is stably lower than couples without children, with a trend which is negative mostly where children are numerous and for mother alone with children. Only families with one child always present an equivalent expenditure stably higher than that of the reference typology. Families with four and more children in 2000 show a ratio which oscillates (according to the Scale adopted) from 58% to 48%