Two lenses: OECD yearly accounting for 25 countries (2006–18), and a lifetime break-even comparison for the same household type in four European fiscal systems.
Static accounting: taxes and contributions minus benefits and public services, as % of host-country GDP. Spec A = individual-level items only (taxes, cash/in-kind benefits). Spec B = A plus congestible public goods (no pure public goods). Spec C2 = B plus pure public goods (defence, debt interest) apportioned per capita to foreign- and native-born alike.
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Once congestible and pure public goods are shared per capita, immigrant and native totals usually sit between −1% and +1% of GDP — and often mirror the country’s overall deficit.
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Source: OECD International Migration Outlook 2021, Chapter 4, Table 4.1 · StatLink table. Country briefs pull the matching row automatically where available.
Hypothetical immigrant couple with two children; second adult earns two-thirds of the primary earner’s pay. All countries share the same cohort characteristics so differences isolate the fiscal system (taxes, benefits, pensions), not migrant selection.
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Where each country’s Polani curve crosses zero for this household type.
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Lifetime curves are about fiscal design, not immigrant “quality.” Related: Germany Bürgergeld by nationality, migration hub, country briefs.