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Top incomes in Brazil: preliminary results

Author

Listed:
  • Pedro Ferreira de Souza

    (Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea) and University of Brasília (UnB))

  • Marcelo Medeiros

    (Instituto de Pesquisa Econômica Aplicada (Ipea) and University of Brasília (UnB))

  • Fabio A. Castro

    (University of Brasília (UnB))

Abstract

We present the preliminary results of our analysis of top incomes in Brazil from 2006 to 2012. We describe the evolution of the income shares of the top 1% and the top 5% and estimate a “tax-corrected†Gini coefficient. The data come from personal income tax returns, national accounts and household surveys. The results show that the levels of income inequality in Brazil are higher than those estimated using household surveys, and, contrary to what these surveys show, inequality did not fall over this period: the current trend is one of stability.

Suggested Citation

  • Pedro Ferreira de Souza & Marcelo Medeiros & Fabio A. Castro, 2015. "Top incomes in Brazil: preliminary results," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 35(2), pages 998-1004.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-14-00888
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anthony B. Atkinson & Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez, 2011. "Top Incomes in the Long Run of History," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(1), pages 3-71, March.
    2. Anthony Atkinson & Thomas Piketty, 2007. "Top incomes over the twentieth century: A contrast between continental european and english-speaking countries," Post-Print halshs-00754859, HAL.
    3. James M. Poterba, 1993. "Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 7," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number pote93-1, June.
    4. Alvaredo, Facundo, 2011. "A note on the relationship between top income shares and the Gini coefficient," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 110(3), pages 274-277, March.
    5. Atkinson, A. B. & Piketty, Thomas (ed.), 2007. "Top Incomes Over the Twentieth Century: A Contrast Between Continental European and English-Speaking Countries," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199286881.
    6. James M. Poterba (ed.), 1993. "Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 7," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262660814, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    income inequality; top incomes; top income shares; tax data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D3 - Microeconomics - - Distribution
    • N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy

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