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The Age of Discontent: Italian Households at the Beginning of the Decade

Author

Listed:
  • Boeri, Tito

    (Bocconi University)

  • Brandolini, Andrea

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

In the Italian public debate growing attention has been recently paid to “household impoverishment”. Subjective indicators of economic condition show that this concern reflects a common sentiment of the Italian population. On the other hand, estimates based on the Bank of Italy’s Survey of Household Income and Wealth reveal a surprising stability of income distribution in the period 1993-2002, after the sharp widening amid the 1991-92 recession. A number of possible reasons that can account for this apparent inconsistency are investigated: data deficiencies; disappointed expectations; significant distributive changes across socio-economic groups which have cancelled out at the aggregate level; higher income mobility not captured by static inequality indices.

Suggested Citation

  • Boeri, Tito & Brandolini, Andrea, 2005. "The Age of Discontent: Italian Households at the Beginning of the Decade," IZA Discussion Papers 1530, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1530
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    poverty; income inequality; household confidence; income mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

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