Maximum monthly child benefit in international dollars

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Quick info
Data type Numeric
Scale Metric
Value labels Not applicable
Technical name fam_cben_amount_max_child_real
Category Family and gender policies
Label Maximum monthly child benefit in international dollars.
Related indicators NA (no information available)

The variable indicates the maximum monthly child benefit amount per child in real values, expressed in international dollars based on purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factors. PPP conversion factors were derived from the International Monetary Fund - World Economic Outlook (IMF-WEO) Database, to translate nominal values into international dollars.

In order to provide comparable data across countries, these variables are derived through a consistent set of calculations and assumptions:

  • In child benefit systems across Global North countries where benefit amounts vary by age or birth order, the reported value corresponds to the maximum (monthly) amount received for a school-age child in a hypothetical family with three children aged 8, 10 and 12 years old, following the established logic of Gauthier (2011).
  • For the benefits provided at the household-level, the equivalent per-child amount is computed by dividing the total household benefit by the average number of children (under age 15) in households with at least one child under 15 in the respective country. These demographic averages are based on household-level data compiled by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
  • Where comprehensive data were unavailable or when a maximum amount could not be determined due to program structure, the variable defaults to the minimum monthly value per child.


Coding rules

The variable assumes a value equal to the maximum monthly child benefit amount per child in international dollars based on purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factors. The variable was calculated by dividing the maximum monthly child benefit amount per child in nominal values (fam_cben_amount_max_child_nominal) by the PPP conversion factor. The nominal values were based on two sets of variables.

A first set of variables pertains to countries in the Global North and follows the methodological conventions established by the Comparative Family Policy Database (Gauthier 2011). These data were compiled for the period 2000-2021 and are primarily based on the Mutual Information System on Social Protection (MISSOC).

The variables reflect the maximum monthly benefit amount that would be received by a hypothetical family with three children aged 8, 10, and 12, following the assumptions and protocols articulated by Gauthier (2011):

  • The maximum monthly amount received for the FIRST child, aged 12 for the employment-based (fam_cben_emp_amount_max_child1_age12_nominal) or citizenship-/residency-based child benefit (fam_cben_citres_amount_max_child1_age12_nominal)
  • The maximum monthly amount received for the SECOND child, aged 10 for the employment-based (fam_cben_emp_amount_max_child2_age10_nominal) or citizenship-/residency-based child benefit (fam_cben_citres_amount_max_child2_age10_nominal)
  • The maximum monthly amount received for the THIRD child, aged 8 for the employment-based (fam_cben_emp_amount_max_child3_age8_nominal) or citizenship-/residency-based child benefit (fam_cben_citres_amount_max_child3_age8_nominal)

The second group of variables, which was coded for child benefits available for citizens/residents across countries in the Global South, record the minimum and maximum values provided per month. In many of these countries, child benefits are structured as flat-rate household-level transfers, with the benefit amount determined by the number of children in the household, often within a defined minimum and maximum threshold. Nominal values—reported in national currency—were collected at either the household or child level, depending on the design of each program. This includes all variables starting with fam_cben_citres_amount_min_varname and fam_cben_citres_amount_max_varname. To enable cross-country comparisons, these variables were subsequently calculated in real values, expressed in international dollars based on purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factors. PPP conversion factors were derived from the International Monetary Fund - World Economic Outlook (IMF-WEO) Database, to translate nominal values into international dollars.

  • For the benefits provided at the household-level, the equivalent per-child amount is computed by dividing the total household benefit by the average number of children (under age 15) in households with at least one child under 15 in the respective country. These demographic averages are based on household-level data compiled by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
  • Where comprehensive data were unavailable or when a maximum amount could not be determined due to program structure, the variable defaults to the minimum monthly value per child.

Missing information is coded as follows:

  • -999 = No information available: Data was unavailable or could not be found.
  • -888 = Policy does not exist: Data was not collected due to knowledge that the policy either does not exist or has been discontinued.
  • -777 = Not applicable: Data was not collected because it was not relevant for this specific country or child benefit system.


Bibliographic info

Citation: Tran, Anh, Simone Tonelli, Martin Gurín, Tobias Böger, Keonhi Son, Aysegül Kayaoglu and Sonja Drobnič. 2025. Codebook of the Global Dataset of Child Benefits (GDCB), SFB 1342, Technical Paper Series/19/2025, Bremen: CRC 1342.


Related publications: Tonelli, Simone, Tobias Böger, Keonhi Son, Petra Buhr, Sonja Drobnič, and Johannes Huinink. 2021. Codebook of Historical Dataset of Child Benefit (HDCB). Bremen: SFB 1342. https://media.suub.uni-bremen.de/handle/elib/5939.



Misc

Project manager(s): Anh Tran, Simone Tonelli, Martin Gurín, Tobias Böger, Keonhi Son, Aysegül Kayaoglu and Sonja Drobnič (A06)


Data release: Version 0.004: Fourth release


Revisions: This codebook is an updated version of the publication: Tonelli, Simone, Tobias Böger, Keonhi Son, Petra Buhr, Sonja Drobnič, and Johannes Huinink. 2021. Codebook of Historical Dataset of Child Benefit (HDCB). Bremen: SFB 1342. https://media.suub.uni-bremen.de/handle/elib/5939.

Sources

Below is a list of common sources used to gather information on multiple countries. For country-specific sources and calculations, please refer to the Codebook of the Global Dataset of Child Benefits (Tran et al. Forthcoming).

  • Gauthier, Anne H. 2011. Comparative Family Policy Database, Version 3 [computer file]. Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (distributors). www.demogr.mpg.de
  • Social Security Administration. Various years. Social Security Programs Throughout the World. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. 1949-1999 reports: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/003924614 2001-2019 reports: https:// www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw
  • United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Non-Contributory Social Protection Programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean Database. Santiago de Chile: UN ECLAC – Social Development Division. https://dds.cepal.org/bpsnc/home.
  • UNU-WIDER. 2018. Social Assistance, Politics, and Institutions (SAPI) database [online]. Helsinki: United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER). /project/sapi-social-assistance-politics-and-institutions-database.
  • Waggaman, Mary T. Family Allowances in Foreign Countries: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 401. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/4026
  • Waggaman, Mary T. Family Allowances in 1937 and 1938, 48 Monthly Lab. Rev. 1026 (1939)
  • Wagemann, Mary T. Family Allowances in Various Countries, 1944-45: Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 853. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/4319
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