We investigate secular changes in the distribution of personal expenditure in Italy. To this end we present a new data set, consisting of 4,370 family-level budgets scattered over the years 1881 1961. Our methodology is innovative for this kind of study. Italy s secular trend proves to have been egalitarian, and to have accelerated in periods of fast output growth. Sectoral, residential, and demographic changes associated with modern economic growth account for a minor part of the observed changes in expenditure distribution, suggesting that other factors, such as wage differentials, play a dominant role in explaining the dynamics of inequality.
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Volume (Year): 61 (2001) Issue (Month): 04 (December) Pages: 904-925 Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML
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