<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This paper aims to identify the factors contributing to the unusually high prevalence of over-indebtedness and debt enforcement proceedings in the Czech Republic at the granular geographic level of extended-powers municipalities (ORP). The main reason for this level is simple, not to lose information about differences among the municipalities, since there is quite a sharp contrast even within the same regions. The dependent variable is the share of people with one or more debt enforcement proceedings outstanding against them. We employ a set of explanatory variables including long-term unemployment, socially excluded localities, regional GDP per capita, education level, and a proxy for distance to the local economic center. The results are estimated using panel data regression with random effects, due to the time-invariant nature of certain variables. Because of poor data availability for some variables at this highly localized level, we make several assumptions; for example, we transfer the regional GDP per capita values to all ORPs in the region. Similar problems arise with education level, where we use data from the 2011 national census. Even with these data restrictions, our set of explanatory variables is shown to be statistically significant with the expected coefficient signs. GDP per capita and higher education level have a negative impact on the prevalence of debt enforcement proceedings, while long-term unemployment, the number of socially excluded localities in the area, and the distance-to-center proxy have a positive effect.</p>
</abstract>

This paper aims to identify the factors contributing to the unusually high prevalence of over-indebtedness and debt enforcement proceedings in the Czech Republic at the granular geographic level of extended-powers municipalities (ORP). The main reason for this level is simple, not to lose information about differences among the municipalities, since there is quite a sharp contrast even within the same regions. The dependent variable is the share of people with one or more debt enforcement proceedings outstanding against them. We employ a set of explanatory variables including long-term unemployment, socially excluded localities, regional GDP per capita, education level, and a proxy for distance to the local economic center. The results are estimated using panel data regression with random effects, due to the time-invariant nature of certain variables. Because of poor data availability for some variables at this highly localized level, we make several assumptions; for example, we transfer the regional GDP per capita values to all ORPs in the region. Similar problems arise with education level, where we use data from the 2011 national census. Even with these data restrictions, our set of explanatory variables is shown to be statistically significant with the expected coefficient signs. GDP per capita and higher education level have a negative impact on the prevalence of debt enforcement proceedings, while long-term unemployment, the number of socially excluded localities in the area, and the distance-to-center proxy have a positive effect.

What Affects Debt Enforcement Proceedings? Evidence from the Czech Republic

Review of Economic Perspectives

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"What Affects Debt Enforcement Proceedings? Evidence from the Czech Republic"}

This paper aims to identify the factors contributing to the unusually high prevalence of over-indebtedness and debt enforcement proceedings in the Czech...

What Affects Debt Enforcement Proceedings? Evidence from the Czech Republic

Published Online: Jun 20, 2023

Page range: 89 - 103

Received: Jul 11, 2022

Accepted: Feb 03, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0003

Keywords
Over-Indebtedness, debt enforcement proceedings, long-term unemployment, education level

© 2023 Daniel Pakši et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

What Affects Debt Enforcement Proceedings? Evidence from the Czech Republic

Published Online: Jun 20, 2023

Page range: 89 - 103

Received: Jul 11, 2022

Accepted: Feb 03, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/revecp-2023-0003

KeywordsOver-Indebtedness, debt enforcement proceedings, long-term unemployment, education level

© 2023 Daniel Pakši et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Over-Indebtedness, debt enforcement proceedings, long-term unemployment, education level