>this is mixing apples and oranges. Let's say the stock market yields 10% annual returns on average (it doesn't, but it's a round number in the ballpark). Let's

>this is mixing apples and oranges. Let's say the stock market yields 10% annual returns on average (it doesn't, but it's a round number in the ballpark). Let's say you inherit a million dollars. That million dollars invested in the stock market would return $100,000 to you as annual income. THAT number is comparable to GDP which is a measure of income. So, in other words, "people in advanced economies stand to earn annually from their inheritances less than 1% of GDP (yawn) not 10%" I get where you're trying to go with this (ie. "you can't compare stock vs flows!"), but you've patterned matched too aggressively. There's nothing wrong with using GDP of a country as a benchmark. Sure, it's comparing stock vs flows, but GDP of a country is nonetheless a valuable yardstick when comparing sums, for instance comparing debt to GDP levels. As long as they're not directly comparing the figures (eg. implying that the whole country is going to be inherited in 10 years time or whatever), it's fine.