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The Colonial Legacy: Income Inequality in Former British African Colonies

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  • Anthony B. Atkinson

Abstract

This paper examines the distribution of top incomes in 15 former British colonies in Africa, drawing on evidence available from income tax records. It seeks to throw light on the position of colonial elites during the period of British rule. Just how unequal were incomes? How did the position of the rich in the colonies compare with that of the rich in the United Kingdom?

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony B. Atkinson, 2014. "The Colonial Legacy: Income Inequality in Former British African Colonies," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-045, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2014-045
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/wp2014-045.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Atkinson, A. B. & Piketty, Thomas (ed.), 2010. "Top Incomes: A Global Perspective," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199286898.
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    3. 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.
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    7. Dudley Seers, 1959. "An Approach To The Short-Period Analysis Of Primary-Producingeconomies," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(1), pages 1-36.
    8. Anthony Atkinson & Thomas Piketty, 2010. "Top Incomes : A Global Perspective," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) halshs-00754875, HAL.
    9. Dudley Seers, 1952. "The Role of National Income Estimates in the Statistical Policy of an Underdeveloped Area," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 20(3), pages 159-168.
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    11. Shantayanan Devarajan, 2013. "Africa's Statistical Tragedy," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 59, pages 9-15, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stefania Galli & Dimitrios Theodoridis & Klas Rönnbäck, 2023. "Economic inequality in Latin America and Africa, 1650 to 1950: Can a comparison of historical trajectories help to understand underdevelopment?," Economic History of Developing Regions, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(1), pages 41-64, January.
    2. C. Y. Cyrus Chu & Teyu Chou & Sheng-Cheng Hu, 2015. "Top Incomes in Taiwan, 1977-2013," Working Papers halshs-02655149, HAL.
    3. Andrea Brandolini & John Micklewright, 2020. "Tony Atkinson’s new book, Measuring Poverty Around the World. Some further reflections," Working Papers 518, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    4. C. Y. Cyrus Chu & Teyu Chou & Sheng-Cheng Hu, 2015. "Top Incomes in Taiwan, 1977-2013," World Inequality Lab Working Papers halshs-02655149, HAL.
    5. Teyu Chou & Cyrus Chu, 2015. "Top Incomes in Taiwan, 1977-2013," Working Papers 201506, World Inequality Lab.
    6. Alvaredo, Facundo & Cogneau, Denis & Piketty, Thomas, 2021. "Income inequality under colonial rule. Evidence from French Algeria, Cameroon, Tunisia, and Vietnam and comparisons with British colonies 1920–1960," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    7. Ellen Hillbom & Jutta Bolt & Michiel de Haas & Federico Tadei, 2024. "Income inequality and export‐oriented commercialization in colonial Africa: Evidence from six countries," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(3), pages 975-1004, August.
    8. Clementi,Fabio & Fabiani,Michele & Molini,Vasco & Schettino,Francesco, 2022. "Is Inequality Systematically Underestimated in Sub-Saharan Africa ? A Proposal toOvercome the Problem," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10058, The World Bank.
    9. Alvaredo, Facundo & Bergeron, Augustin & Cassan, Guilhem, 2017. "Income concentration in British India, 1885–1946," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 459-469.
    10. Yajna Govind, 2020. "Post-colonial Trends of Income Inequality: Evidence from the Overseas Departments of France," Working Papers halshs-03022303, HAL.

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