MAINSTREAM PATTERN, DEVIANT CASES - THE NEW-ZEALAND AND DANISH PENSION SYSTEMS IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

In the late 19th and early 20th century, industrialized countries intr oduced a variety of pension schemes to sustain elderly people. These i nitial schemes may broadly be classified as 'contributory' or 'assista nce-based'. However, over time, there has been a convergence towards d ual mandatory systems where the majority receive contribution-based pe nsions, while the poor depend on tax-financed income-tested assistance schemes. Within this general convergence, however, New Zealand, and t o a lesser extent Denmark, represent deviant cases. This article seeks to explain both the common pattern and the deviant cases, and asks wh ether this difference is likely to persist.