Social Mobility and the Global Income Mobility Database

The Institute for Economic Development is partnering this year with the Monash Business School (MBS) to support a panel discussion on Social Mobility and the Global Income Mobility Database during the Sustainable Development Conference 2025 in Prato, Italy.

Held at the Monash Prato Center, this session will explore the links between intergenerational mobility, social welfare, and economic growth, while unpacking the complex policy trade-offs governments face in promoting upward mobility.

The event will feature the new income mobility companion database to the Global Database on Intergenerational Mobility (GDIM) and explore its implications for social mobility research and policy. Presented by Roy Van der Weide of the World Bank Group, the session will highlight key findings and pressing research questions.

Following the presentation, a panel of leading researchers will then dive deeper into how this data reshapes our understanding of mobility, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and discuss areas where further research is needed to close knowledge gaps.