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On the Limitations of Some Current Usages of the Gini Index

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  • Lars Osberg

Abstract

Recent popular and professional writing on economic inequality often fails to distinguish between change in a summary index of inequality, such as the Gini Index, and change in the inequalities which that index tries to summarize. This note constructs a simple two class example in which the Gini Index is held constant while the size of the rich and poor populations change, in order to illustrate how very different societies can have the same Gini index and produce very similar estimates of standard inequality averse Social Welfare Functions. The rich/poor income ratio can vary by a factor of over 12, and the income share of the top one per cent can vary by a factor of over 16, with exactly the same Gini Index. Focussing solely on the Gini Index can thus obscure perception of important market income trends or changes in the redistributive impact of the tax and transfer system. Hence, analysts should supplement the use of an aggregate summary index of inequality with direct examination of the segments of the income distribution which they think are of greatest importance.
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  • Lars Osberg, 2017. "On the Limitations of Some Current Usages of the Gini Index," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63(3), pages 574-584, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:revinw:v:63:y:2017:i:3:p:574-584
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/roiw.12256
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    1. I. Josa & A. Aguado, 2020. "Measuring Unidimensional Inequality: Practical Framework for the Choice of an Appropriate Measure," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 541-570, June.
    2. Philipp Poppitz, 2019. "Multidimensional Inequality and Divergence: The Eurozone Crisis in Retrospect," Working Papers V-420-19, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2019.
    3. Francesca Greselin & Simone Pellegrino & Achille Vernizzi, 2021. "The Zenga Equality Curve: A New Approach to Measuring Tax Redistribution and Progressivity," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 67(4), pages 950-976, December.
    4. Giovanni M. Giorgi & Alessio Guandalini, 2018. "Decomposing the Bonferroni Inequality Index by Subgroups: Shapley Value and Balance of Inequality," Econometrics, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Sergey Dianov & Lyudmila Koroleva & Natalia Pokrovskaia & Natalia Victorova & Andrey Zaytsev, 2022. "The Influence of Taxation on Income Inequality: Analysis of the Practice in the EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Amlan Majumder & Takayoshi Kusago, 2021. "A consistency check of the World Income Inequality Database in favour of common readers," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(7), pages 1-17, July.
    7. Ziqing Dong & Yves Tillé & Giovanni M. Giorgi & Alessio Guandalini, 2021. "Linearization and variance estimation of the Bonferroni inequality index," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 184(3), pages 1008-1029, July.
    8. Fazley K. Siddiq & Halyna Klymentieva & Taylor J. C. Lee, 2023. "Applying the Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient to Measure the Population Distribution," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 29(3), pages 177-192, August.
    9. Khan, Haris & Shehzad, Choudhry Tanveer & Ahmad, Ferhana, 2021. "Temporal effects of financial globalization on income inequality," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 452-467.
    10. Beatriz Larraz & Jose M. Pavía & Marcos Herrera‐Gómez, 2021. "Spatial aggregation and resampling expansion of big surveys: An analysis of wage inequality," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 957-981, June.
    11. Amlan Majumder & Takayoshi Kusago, 2018. "A note on the use of decile or quintile group-share of income or consumption from the popular income inequality databases to explain inequality conditions," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 38(4), pages 2152-2166.
    12. Pablo Gutiérrez Cubillos, 2022. "Gini and undercoverage at the upper tail: a simple approximation," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(2), pages 443-471, April.

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