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Gender and inequality of opportunity in Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Karin Hederos

    (Stockholm University)

  • Markus Jäntti

    (Stockholm University)

  • Lena Lindahl

    (Stockholm University)

Abstract

This paper considers the role of gender in generating inequality of opportunity. Using data on long-run income for Swedish men and women, we explore to what extent income inequality is due to circumstances beyond individuals’ control, such as gender and parental income, rather than to differences in individuals’ choices. The key idea is that a society has achieved equality of opportunity if there is no income inequality that is due to circumstances. Analyzing men and women separately, we find that circumstances account for up to 31% of income inequality among men and up to 25% among women. We conclude that there is greater equality of opportunity among women than among men. When we analyze men and women together, treating gender as a circumstance, at most 38% of income inequality can be attributed to circumstances. Gender accounts for up to 13% of income inequality, making gender the single most important circumstance in accounting for inequality in long-run income in Sweden.

Suggested Citation

  • Karin Hederos & Markus Jäntti & Lena Lindahl, 2017. "Gender and inequality of opportunity in Sweden," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 49(3), pages 605-635, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sochwe:v:49:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s00355-017-1076-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s00355-017-1076-2
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    3. Jaya Krishnakumar & Ricardo Nogales, 2020. "Public Policies and Equality of Opportunity for Wellbeing in Multiple Dimensions: A Theoretical Discussion and Evidence from Bolivia," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 297-325, May.
    4. Ahsan, Md. Nazmul & Emran, M. Shahe & Jiang, Hanchen & Shilpi, Forhad, 2022. "What the Mean Measures of Mobility Miss: Learning About Intergenerational Mobility from Conditional Variance," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1097, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Kreiner, Claus Thustrup & Olufsen, Isabel Skak, 2022. "Is inequality in subjective well-being meritocratic? Danish evidence from linked survey and administrative data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 336-367.
    6. Z. F. Ibragimova & M. V. Frants, 2022. "Inequality of Opportunity: Unobserved Factors in Empirical Research," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 328-335, June.
    7. Jane Golley & Yixiao Zhou & Meiyan Wang, 2019. "Inequality of Opportunity in China's Labor Earnings: The Gender Dimension," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 27(1), pages 28-50, January.
    8. Anna Oksuzyan & Sven Drefahl & Jennifer Caputo & Siddartha Aradhya, 2023. "Is it Better to Intermarry? Immigration Background of Married Couples and Suicide Risk Among Native-Born and Migrant Persons in Sweden," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-26, December.

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