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A Note on Decomposable Inequality Measures

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  • R. Robert Russell

Abstract

Cowell has shown that if an inequality measure satisfies (1) additivity, (2) decomposability (among population groups), (3) additivitiy of the group inequality measures, (4) symmetry within groups, and (5) twice differentiability, it can be written as an additive function of group measures belonging to the CES class or of the form ∑i, si, ln si, where si is the i-th person's share. Using a result from the theory of functional equations, I prove that the first two conditions, often imposed for analytical convenience, alone imply Cowell's structure. Symmetry, or other ethical postulates, can then be represented by simple parametric restrictions.

Suggested Citation

  • R. Robert Russell, 1985. "A Note on Decomposable Inequality Measures," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 52(2), pages 347-352.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:restud:v:52:y:1985:i:2:p:347-352.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.2307/2297626
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    Cited by:

    1. Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Ana Urrutia & Oscar Volij, 2011. "An Axiomatic Characterization Of The Theil Inequality Order," Working Papers 1103, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Economics.
    2. Stéphane Mussard & Françoise Seyte & Michel Terraza, 2006. "La décomposition de l’indicateur de Gini en sous-groupes : une revue de la littérature," Cahiers de recherche 06-11, Departement d'économique de l'École de gestion à l'Université de Sherbrooke.
    3. Francisco J. Goerlich-Gisbert & Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Ana Marta Urrutia, 2009. "The ‘extended’ Atkinson family and changes in the expenditure distribution. Spain 1973/74-2003," Journal of Income Distribution, Ad libros publications inc., vol. 18(1), pages 20-41, March.
    4. Casilda Lasso de la Vega & Ana Urrutia & Oscar Volij, 2013. "An axiomatic characterization of the Theil inequality ordering," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 54(3), pages 757-776, November.
    5. Salois, Matthew J., 2013. "Regional changes in the distribution of foreign aid: An entropy approach," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 392(13), pages 2893-2902.

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