The Socio-Economic Gradient in Children’s Test-Scores - A Comparison Between the U.S. and Denmark

This paper contributes to the debate on intergenerational mobility in the U.S.
and Denmark by linking parental resources to differentials in cognitive development in primary school. Using U.S. survey data and Danish register data, we observe a socioeconomic gradient along the entire test score distribution in both countries, but the gradient is always largest in the U.S. Our findings show that a substantial socio-economic testscore gradient is present even in a Scandinavian welfare state. However, in light of the recent debate on similarities in intergenerational mobility between Denmark and the U.S., it is important to note that this socio-economic gradient is smaller in Denmark than the U.S.