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The Relativity of Decreasing Inequality Between Countries

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  • Kristof Bosmans
  • Koen Decancq
  • André Decoster

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ecca12059-abs-0001"> We study the evolution of population-weighted between-country inequality in the period 1980–2009. Whereas previous studies almost exclusively focused on relative inequality measures, we consider relative, absolute and intermediate versions of the Lorenz dominance criterion and of the S-Gini and generalized entropy classes of inequality measures. The analysis yields robust evidence for increasing absolute inequality. Moreover, this conclusion is preserved for intermediate views substantially in the direction of the relative view. In contrast, robust evidence for decreasing inequality—be it relative, absolute or intermediate—is virtually absent. These findings challenge the widely accepted claim of decreasing between-country inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristof Bosmans & Koen Decancq & André Decoster, 2014. "The Relativity of Decreasing Inequality Between Countries," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 81(322), pages 276-292, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:81:y:2014:i:322:p:276-292
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ecca.2014.81.issue-322
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    Cited by:

    1. Ravallion, Martin, 2020. "Ethnic inequality and poverty in Malaysia since May 1969. Part 1: Inequality," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Brandolini Andrea & Carta Francesca, 2016. "Some Reflections on the Social Welfare Bases of the Measurement of Global Income Inequality," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, June.
    3. Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra, 2018. "The absolute Gini is a more reliable measure of inequality for time dependent analyses (compared with the relative Gini)," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 135-139.
    4. Mauro Mussini, 2017. "Decomposing Changes in Inequality and Welfare Between EU Regions: The Roles of Population Change, Re-Ranking and Income Growth," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(2), pages 455-478, January.
    5. Lucio Esposito, 2014. "Introduction," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 134-136.
    6. Chapelle, Guillaume & Domènech Arumí, Gerard & Gobbi, Paula Eugenia, 2023. "Housing, Neighborhoods and Inequality," CEPR Discussion Papers 17969, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    7. Thomas Goda & Alejandro Torres, 2015. "Class or location? What explains the rising tide of absolute global income inequality during 1850-2010?," Documentos de Trabajo de Valor Público 12663, Universidad EAFIT.
    8. Andrea Ricci, 2016. "Unequal Exchange in International Trade:A General Model," Working Papers 1605, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Economics, Society & Politics - Scientific Committee - L. Stefanini & G. Travaglini, revised 2016.
    9. Thomas Goda & Alejandro Torres García, 2017. "The Rising Tide of Absolute Global Income Inequality During 1850–2010: Is It Driven by Inequality Within or Between Countries?," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 1051-1072, February.
    10. Urban, Ivica, 2017. "Measuring income redistribution: beyond the proportionality standard," EUROMOD Working Papers EM1/17, EUROMOD at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.
    11. Roope, Laurence & Niño-Zarazúa, Miguel & Tarp, Finn, 2018. "How polarized is the global income distribution?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 86-89.
    12. Nanak Kakwani & Hyun Hwa Son, 2021. "Normative Measures of Tax Progressivity: an International Comparison," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(1), pages 185-212, March.
    13. S. Subramanian, 2015. "Assessing Inequality in the Presence of Growth: an Expository Essay," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 179-199, September.
    14. Miguel Niño‐Zarazúa & Laurence Roope & Finn Tarp, 2017. "Global Inequality: Relatively Lower, Absolutely Higher," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(4), pages 661-684, December.
    15. Claudio Zoli, 2018. "A Note on Progressive Taxation and Inequality Equivalence," Research on Economic Inequality, in: Inequality, Taxation and Intergenerational Transmission, volume 26, pages 15-33, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    16. Marko Ledić & Ivica Rubil & Ivica Urban, 2023. "Tax progressivity and social welfare with a continuum of inequality views," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 30(5), pages 1266-1296, October.
    17. Fabio Clementi & Vasco Molini & Francesco Schettino & Haider A. Khan & Michele Fabiani, 2023. "Polarization and its discontents: Morocco before and after the Arab Spring," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 21(1), pages 105-129, March.
    18. Keisuke Kokubun, 2017. "World Income Inequality Between and Within Regions: 1820-2008," International Journal of Economics and Finance, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 9(8), pages 1-11, August.
    19. Shimaa Elkomy & Tim Jackson, 2024. "Health resilience and the global pandemic: The effect of social conditions on the COVID‐19 mortality rate," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(5), pages 2342-2371, July.
    20. Carla Krolage & Andreas Peichl & Daniel Waldenström, 2022. "Long-run trends in top income shares: The role of income and population growth," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 20(1), pages 97-118, March.
    21. Amparo Ba'illo & Javier C'arcamo & Carlos Mora-Corral, 2021. "Extremal points of Lorenz curves and applications to inequality analysis," Papers 2103.03286, arXiv.org.

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