Unconditional basic income: study shows high approval

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Against this background, it is interesting to see what economic expectations the respondents have for themselves. Overall, a surprisingly high 36 percent expect to be better off with an unconditional basic income (UBI). 23 percent assume that they will lose as a result of the UBI. 30 percent expect no significant impact on themselves.

The assessment of one’s own concern depends heavily on how the costs are raised, i.e. who should pay for the basic income.

The most popular is a combination of one Increase in income tax and introduction of a wealth tax. The costs of the basic income should therefore be paid by those in employment with a higher income and by people with wealth. In contrast, an increase in value-added tax, in which the costs would be passed on to all consumers, is unpopular.

read too

Unconditional basic income: idea, pros and cons, models and opinions in surveys

There are also different results when the answers consider the attitudes and social and personality traits of the respondents:

• Younger respondents tend to be more in favor of a basic income than older people. In other words, approval of an unconditional basic income decreases with age and working age.
• Low-income people are more likely to support a basic income than higher-income earners.
• People who are worried about the general economic situation tend to reject an unconditional basic income.
• Those who are more worried about their own economic situation are more likely to agree to an unconditional basic income.
• People who tend to be dissatisfied with their own lives are more inclined towards an unconditional basic income.

The various models of a basic income also meet with different levels of approval:

• Approval depends on the amount of the basic income and increases steadily up to 1,200 per month. A higher amount of 1,600 euros receives slightly lower approval. The researchers suspect that “from this level, concerns about the ability to finance or weaker incentives to work” increase.
• Those surveyed support models in which the basic income is only paid to adults over the age of 18, i.e. not to children. Children would then have to be covered by other services.
• Approval is higher if the basic income is only paid to German citizens or people who have lived in Germany for at least five years.
• Approval is significantly higher when the basic income is not linked to any conditions.
• This is partially contradicted by the fact that approval is also higher when recipients of a basic income should take part in training and further education or work on a voluntary basis.
• The least popular are models that only pay the basic income to the unemployed and those looking for work.

When assessing the models, the financial consequences that respondents expect for themselves play a role. In general, it can be said that those who expect disadvantages for themselves are more in favor of models with stricter payout criteria.

Conclusion: The model with the highest level of approval

From their data, the researchers derive an “estimated agreement with various basic income models”. The most popular model, with 61 percent approval, has the following components: basic income of 1,200 euros per month, payment only to adult German citizens, no conditions or consideration, financing through higher taxes on income and assets.

For the first time, the study allows more detailed conclusions to be drawn about the opinion on an unconditional basic income in society. One open flank remains: the question of financing was only asked in general terms. The previous estimates of the costs of 800 to 900 billion euros per year and the mathematically necessary tax increases were not mentioned to the respondents.

Study author Jürgen Schupp also calls for intensifying research on the unconditional basic income. He pleads “especially in times of growing transformation processes for a broad, empirically rich, but also open-ended treatment of the complex topic of an unconditional basic income in science, politics, as well as in social debates.”

Die Study with more details on the results and notes on the methodology can be found here.

read too

For an unconditional basic income, income tax would have to rise to up to 82 percent

Against this background, it is interesting to see what economic expectations the respondents have for themselves. Overall, a surprisingly high 36 percent expect to be better off with an unconditional basic income (UBI). 23 percent assume that they will lose as a result of the UBI. 30 percent expect no significant impact on themselves.

The assessment of one’s own concern depends heavily on how the costs are raised, i.e. who should pay for the basic income.

The most popular is a combination of one Increase in income tax and introduction of a wealth tax. The costs of the basic income should therefore be paid by those in employment with a higher income and by people with wealth. In contrast, an increase in value-added tax, in which the costs would be passed on to all consumers, is unpopular.

read too

Unconditional basic income: idea, pros and cons, models and opinions in surveys

There are also different results when the answers consider the attitudes and social and personality traits of the respondents:

• Younger respondents tend to be more in favor of a basic income than older people. In other words, approval of an unconditional basic income decreases with age and working age.
• Low-income people are more likely to support a basic income than higher-income earners.
• People who are worried about the general economic situation tend to reject an unconditional basic income.
• Those who are more worried about their own economic situation are more likely to agree to an unconditional basic income.
• People who tend to be dissatisfied with their own lives are more inclined towards an unconditional basic income.

The various models of a basic income also meet with different levels of approval:

• Approval depends on the amount of the basic income and increases steadily up to 1,200 per month. A higher amount of 1,600 euros receives slightly lower approval. The researchers suspect that “from this level, concerns about the ability to finance or weaker incentives to work” increase.
• Those surveyed support models in which the basic income is only paid to adults over the age of 18, i.e. not to children. Children would then have to be covered by other services.
• Approval is higher if the basic income is only paid to German citizens or people who have lived in Germany for at least five years.
• Approval is significantly higher when the basic income is not linked to any conditions.
• This is partially contradicted by the fact that approval is also higher when recipients of a basic income should take part in training and further education or work on a voluntary basis.
• The least popular are models that only pay the basic income to the unemployed and those looking for work.

When assessing the models, the financial consequences that respondents expect for themselves play a role. In general, it can be said that those who expect disadvantages for themselves are more in favor of models with stricter payout criteria.

Conclusion: The model with the highest level of approval

From their data, the researchers derive an “estimated agreement with various basic income models”. The most popular model, with 61 percent approval, has the following components: basic income of 1,200 euros per month, payment only to adult German citizens, no conditions or consideration, financing through higher taxes on income and assets.

For the first time, the study allows more detailed conclusions to be drawn about the opinion on an unconditional basic income in society. One open flank remains: the question of financing was only asked in general terms. The previous estimates of the costs of 800 to 900 billion euros per year and the mathematically necessary tax increases were not mentioned to the respondents.

Study author Jürgen Schupp also calls for intensifying research on the unconditional basic income. He pleads “especially in times of growing transformation processes for a broad, empirically rich, but also open-ended treatment of the complex topic of an unconditional basic income in science, politics, as well as in social debates.”

Die Study with more details on the results and notes on the methodology can be found here.

read too

For an unconditional basic income, income tax would have to rise to up to 82 percent