This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

A Simple Geometric Approach to Approximating the Gini Coefficient

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
John Golden () (Allegheny Colllege)
Abstract

The author shows how a quick approximation of the Lorenz curve's Gini coefficient can be calculated empirically using numerical data presented in cumulative income quintiles. When the technique here was used to estimate 621 income quintile/Gini coefficient observations from the Deninger and Squire/World Bank data set, this approach performed better than a popular alternative, the trapezoidal rule.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://www.journalofeconed.org/pdfs/winter2008/JECE_068-077.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Article provided by Helen Dwight Reid Foundation in its journal The Journal of Economic Education.

Volume (Year): 39 (2008)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 68-77
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:jee:journl:v:39:y:2008:i:1:p:68-77

Contact details of provider:
Web page: http://www.heldref.org

Order Information:
Email:

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Andrew Ivers) The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask Andrew Ivers to update the entry or send us the correct address..

Related research
Keywords: geometric approach; Gini coefficient; Lorenz curve; trapezoidal rule;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
C63 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Computational Techniques
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Ogwang, Tomson & Gouranga Rao, U. L., 1996. "A new functional form for approximating the Lorenz curve," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 21-29, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Milanovic, Branko, 1997. "A simple way to calculate the Gini coefficient, and some implications," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 45-49, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Rasche, R H, et al, 1980. "Functional Forms for Estimating the Lorenz Curve: Comment," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 48(4), pages 1061-62, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Anthony B. Atkinson & Andrea Brandolini, 2001. "Promise and Pitfalls in the Use of "Secondary" Data-Sets: Income Inequality in OECD Countries As a Case Study," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 39(3), pages 771-799, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Deininger, Klaus & Squire, Lyn, 1996. "A New Data Set Measuring Income Inequality," World Bank Economic Review, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(3), pages 565-91, September.
  6. Chotikapanich, Duangkamon, 1993. "A comparison of alternative functional forms for the Lorenz curve," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 129-138. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. George Deltas, 2003. "The Small-Sample Bias of the Gini Coefficient: Results and Implications for Empirical Research," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(1), pages 226-234, 01. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? About 1000 archives contribute their bibliographic data to RePEc.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-25.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.