The Evolution of the Intergenerational Mobility of Education in Chile by Cohorts: Facts and Possible Causes

We estimate the evolution of intergenerational mobility of education in Chile for synthetic cohorts born between 1930 and 1978. The correlation coefficient between children and parent education falls from 0.67 for the cohort born in 1930 to 0.41 for that born in 1956, followed by stagnation. We test three explanations for this evolution. The first that mobility was driven by laws that made further education mandatory. The second that mobility stopped because of a financial restriction either at age 18 or at birth. Finally, we test whether the increase in single parent households explains the stagnation in mobility.