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Taking stock of South African income inequality

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  • Murray Leibbrandt
  • Vimal Ranchhod
  • Pippa Green

Abstract

We synthesize the findings from several recent papers on South Africa's very high income inequality. These papers use new datasets—including income tax data—and new empirical methods to investigate the drivers of household income and individual earnings inequality in South Africa. Increased returns to experience and an increased rate of return to tertiary qualifications are key drivers of a widening earnings distribution.

Suggested Citation

  • Murray Leibbrandt & Vimal Ranchhod & Pippa Green, 2018. "Taking stock of South African income inequality," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-184, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2018-184
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Arden Finn & Murray Leibbrandt, 2018. "The evolution and determination of earnings inequality in post-apartheid South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 83, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Arden Finn & Murray Leibbrandt & Morné Oosthuizen, 2014. "Poverty, Inequality, and Prices in Post-Apartheid South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-127, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Azevedo, Joao Pedro & Inchauste, Gabriela & Sanfelice, Viviane, 2013. "Decomposing the recent inequality decline in Latin America," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6715, The World Bank.
    4. Gabriela Inchauste & Nora Lustig & Mashekwa Maboshe & Catriona Purfield & Ingrid Woolard, 2015. "Distributional Impact of Fiscal Policy in South Africa," Commitment to Equity (CEQ) Working Paper Series 29, Tulane University, Department of Economics.
    5. Andrew Kerr & Martin Wittenberg, 2017. "Public sector wages and employment in South Africa," SALDRU Working Papers 214, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    6. Martin Wittenberg, 2017. "Wages and Wage Inequality in South Africa 1994–2011: Part 1 – Wage Measurement and Trends," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(2), pages 279-297, June.
    7. Murray Leibbrandt & Arden Finn & Ingrid Woolard, 2012. "Describing and decomposing post-apartheid income inequality in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 19-34, March.
    8. Mashekwa Maboshe & Ingrid Woolard, 2018. "Revisiting the impact of direct taxes and transfers on poverty and inequality in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-79, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Martin Wittenberg, 2017. "Wages and Wage Inequality in South Africa 1994–2011: Part 2 – Inequality Measurement and Trends," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(2), pages 298-318, June.
    10. Murray Leibbrandt & Ingrid Woolard & Arden Finn & Jonathan Argent, 2010. "Trends in South African Income Distribution and Poverty since the Fall of Apartheid," OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 101, OECD Publishing.
    11. Martin Wittenberg, 2018. "The top tail of South Africa's earnings distribution 1993-2014: Evidence from the Pareto distribution," SALDRU Working Papers 224, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bassier, Ihsaan, 2022. "Firms and inequality when unemployment is high," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117999, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Serena Merrino, 2021. "Wage inequality under inflationtargeting in South Africa," Working Papers 11018, South African Reserve Bank.
    3. Ihsaan Bassier, 2022. "Firms and inequality when unemployment is high," CEP Discussion Papers dp1872, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    4. Bassier, Ihsaan, 2023. "Firms and inequality when unemployment is high," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    5. Catherine van de Ruit & Alexandra Breckenridge, 2024. "South African community health workers' pursuit of occupational security," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1560-1581, July.
    6. Jeanne Terblanche & Dawie van Lill & Hylton Hollander, 2023. "Fiscal policy and dimensions of inequality in South Africa: A time-varying coefficient approach," Working Papers 05/2023, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    7. Bassier, Ihsaan, 2022. "Firms and inequality when unemployment is high," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121970, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Serena Merrino, 2020. "Wage inequality under inflation-targeting in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2020-86, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Rocco ZIZZAMIA & Vimal RANCHHOD, 2020. "Earnings inequality over the life-course in South Africa," Working Paper 98ced6cc-3016-49dc-a2b6-b, Agence française de développement.

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