Changes in social status between parents and children. Upward mobility occurs when the social status of a child surpasses that of the parents. Downward mobility is the converse. In many societies social status is synonymous with economic position. In others, such as the UK, social status is a broader concept that encompasses economic position and elements of social class. A widely used measure of the intergenerational mobility is the correlation between the positions of parents and children in the distribution of earnings. A high degree of intergenerational mobility is frequently viewed as an indicator of equality of opportunities. The Nordic countries have a high degree of mobility while the UK and US have a low degree.