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Comparing the Distribution of Top Incomes Across Countries

Author

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  • Anthony B. Atkinson

    (Nuffield College, Oxford,)

Abstract

Comparing the distribution of top incomes across countries raises many methodological problems, including differences in tax legislation and in tax avoidance, the definition of the income unit, and the definition of a control total for income. The paper considers the significance of these problems in three applications: comparing top income shares at a point in time, analysing the extent of convergence or divergence over time, and setting national changes in the context of the world distribution of income. (JEL: D31) Copyright (c) 2005 The European Economic Association.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony B. Atkinson, 2005. "Comparing the Distribution of Top Incomes Across Countries," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 393-401, 04/05.
  • Handle: RePEc:tpr:jeurec:v:3:y:2005:i:2-3:p:393-401
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peichl, Andreas & Pestel, Nico, 2010. "Multidimensional Measurement of Richness: Theory and an Application to Germany," IZA Discussion Papers 4825, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    2. Roine, Jesper & Waldenstrom, Daniel, 2008. "The evolution of top incomes in an egalitarian society: Sweden, 1903-2004," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1-2), pages 366-387, February.
    3. Kontbay-Busun, Sine & Peichl, Andreas, 2014. "Multidimensional affluence in income and wealth in the eurozone: A cross country comparison using the HFCS," ZEW Discussion Papers 14-124, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Tjeerd de Vries & Alexis Akira Toda, 2022. "Capital and Labor Income Pareto Exponents Across Time and Space," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(4), pages 1058-1078, December.
    5. Andrews Dan & Jencks Christopher & Leigh Andrew, 2011. "Do Rising Top Incomes Lift All Boats?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-45, January.
    6. Anjan K. Saha & Vinod Mishra & Russell Smyth, 2021. "Financial development and top income shares in OECD countries," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(3), pages 952-978, January.
    7. Andreas Peichl & Nico Pestel, 2013. "Multidimensional affluence: theory and applications to Germany and the US," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(32), pages 4591-4601, November.
    8. Carlos Gradín & Gabriela Zapata-Román, 2024. "Unpacking inequality of opportunity in Chile: the role of birth circumstances using a Shapley decomposition," Working Papers 676, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    9. Carlos Gradín, 2020. "Quantifying the contribution of a subpopulation to inequality an application to Mozambique," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 18(3), pages 391-419, September.
    10. Ariun-Erdene Bayarjargal, 2016. "Economic growth and income inequality: asymmetric response of top income shares to growth volatility," Departmental Working Papers 2016-09, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    11. Salvatore Morelli & Timothy Smeeding & Jeffrey Thompson, 2014. "Post-1970 Trends in Within-Country Inequality and Poverty: Rich and Middle Income Countries," CSEF Working Papers 356, Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy.
    12. Andreas Peichl & Thilo Schaefer & Christoph Scheicher, 2010. "Measuring Richness And Poverty: A Micro Data Application To Europe And Germany," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 56(3), pages 597-619, September.
    13. Gustafsson, Björn Anders & Jansson, Birgitta, 2007. "Top Incomes in Sweden during Three-Quarters of a Century: A Micro Data Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 2672, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Sudeshna Ghosh, 2020. "Impact of economic growth volatility on income inequality: ASEAN experience," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(3), pages 807-850, June.
    15. Saikat Sarkar & Matti Tuomala, 2021. "Asset bubbles in explaining top income shares," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(4), pages 707-726, December.
    16. Andrew Leigh, 2007. "How Closely Do Top Income Shares Track Other Measures of Inequality?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 117(524), pages 619-633, November.
    17. Carlos Gradín, 2018. "Quantifying the contribution of a subpopulation to inequality: An application to Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series 60, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Mollick, André Varella, 2012. "Income inequality in the U.S.: The Kuznets hypothesis revisited," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 127-144.
    19. Peichl, Andreas & Schaefer, Thilo & Scheicher, Christoph, 2006. "Measuring Richness and Poverty," FiFo Discussion Papers - Finanzwissenschaftliche Diskussionsbeiträge 06-11, University of Cologne, FiFo Institute for Public Economics.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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