Economic Inequality, Social Mobility, and Support for Democracy: How Individual and Contextual Factors Jointly Shape Democratic Legitimacy

National economic inequality is considered a key driver of democratic support, by reducing its levels. However, it is unclear whether economic inequality affects all individuals equally. A better understanding of these dynamics is urgent, as not only is inequality within countries increasing, but democracies are also facing mounting threats. The present study therefore examines whether the effect of inequality on democratic support varies according to an individual’s experience of social mobility. We hypothesize that the effect of inequality is more negative for those experiencing downward mobility than for those experiencing upward mobility, for whom the effects of inequality are attenuated. To test these hypotheses, we utilize cross-sectional survey data from the European Values Survey (36 countries, N = 59,438) and the Life in Transition Survey (37 countries, N = 37,478). Additionally, national economic inequality is measured using the Gini coefficient, the income share of the top 10%, and the income share of the lowest 50%, all of which are taken from the World Inequality Database. Social mobility is measured using various dimensions, such as objective intergenerational mobility, calculated as the difference between the highest level of parental education and the education of the respondent. We run several multilevel models: linear multilevel regression for continuous measures of democratic support and logistic multilevel regression for binary outcomes. By taking into account the personal trajectories of individuals, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of how and when societal conditions affect support for democracy. Consequently, it advances research on the interplay of micro- and macro-level factors shaping democratic legitimacy.