The challenge with doing the math is the mount of unpredictable aspects of a UBI. We are not good at predicting human behaviors. What happens for those who are struggling to survive when they have enough money for a decent living? Will they spend it in a way that revitalizes the economy? Will they use the time they spent struggling to survive in doing other things that make the pie bigger for everyone?<p>What happens for those who were already earning a (barely) decent living? How will their spending habits change? Maybe some of them will choose to contribute to society in non-traditional ways. Would that be good? Will any of them stop contributing to society?<p>We don&#x27;t know if its a zero-sum change. Its unclear if the pie will get bigger, smaller, or stay the same; if the rich will get richer, poorer, or around the same; if the money we would get from taxation will sustain a UBI in the steady state.<p>The studies on minimum wage increase is the closest we have, but that is unrelated enough that it misses many of the complexities (and advantages) that a UBI could have.