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The determinants of wealth inequality in the UK, USA and France

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  • Tippet, Benjamin
  • Onaran, Özlem
  • Wildauer, Rafael

Abstract

This paper analyses the determinants of wealth inequality, measured as the share of wealth owned by the top 1% wealthiest individuals in the UK, the USA and France, using structural vector autoregression (SVAR) models for the periods of 1919-2014 and 1970-2014. We analyse the impact of technological change, globalisation, top marginal income and inheritance tax rates, labour's bargaining power, privatisation and homeownership on wealth inequality. Our results indicate that the only robust and significant determinant across all three countries is the bargaining power of labour – measured by union density in the UK and USA and collective bargaining coverage in France. We find that privatisation does significantly lead to higher top 1% wealth shares in the UK and France, although in the USA the effect is insignificant. Top marginal income tax rates lead to a decline in top wealth shares in the UK but are insignificant in the USA and France.

Suggested Citation

  • Tippet, Benjamin & Onaran, Özlem & Wildauer, Rafael, 2021. "The determinants of wealth inequality in the UK, USA and France," Greenwich Papers in Political Economy 31260, University of Greenwich, Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:gpe:wpaper:31260
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    File URL: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/31260/7/31260%20ONARAN_Determinants_of_Wealth_Inequality_2021.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    JEL Codes: D31; J50; H24;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • H24 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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