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On the Relationship Between Income Inequality and the Shadow Economy

Author

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  • Aziz N. Berdiev

    (Bryant University)

  • James W. Saunoris

    (Eastern Michigan University)

Abstract

We empirically investigate the linkages between income inequality and the shadow economy. Employing a panel vector autoregression model, we build impulse response functions to study the time path of income inequality following a shock to the shadow economy, and vice versa. Our results using panel data for 144 countries over the period 1960–2009 reveal a bidirectional positive relationship between the two: specifically, higher income inequality promotes the spread of the shadow economy while the development of the shadow economy contributes to income inequality. Overall, these findings withstand a variety of robustness checks.

Suggested Citation

  • Aziz N. Berdiev & James W. Saunoris, 2019. "On the Relationship Between Income Inequality and the Shadow Economy," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 45(2), pages 224-249, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:easeco:v:45:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1057_s41302-018-0120-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41302-018-0120-y
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    Cited by:

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    2. Emmanuel U. Haruna, 2023. "The multidimensional effect of financial development on the shadow economy in Africa: A dynamic panel analysis approach," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 327-365, May.
    3. Roberto Dell'Anno, 2021. "Inequality and informality in transition and emerging countries," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 325-325, April.
    4. Friedrich Schneider & Mangirdas Morkunas & Erika Quendler, 2021. "Measuring the Immeasurable: The Evolution of the Size of Informal Economy in the Agricultural Sector in the EU-15 up to 2019," CESifo Working Paper Series 8937, CESifo.
    5. Aziz N. Berdiev & Brandon Gomes & James W. Saunoris, 2023. "Revisiting the nexus between globalisation and the shadow economy: Untying the influences of de jure versus de facto globalisation," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 27-54, January.
    6. Goel, Rajeev K. & Saunoris, James W., 2020. "Spatial spillovers of pollution onto the underground sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    7. Isaac Ketu & Arsene Mouongue Kelly & Jules-Eric Tchapchet Tchouto, 2024. "Does economic complexity reduce the size of the shadow economy in African countries?," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-27, January.
    8. Collin Constantine, 2022. "Income Inequality in Guyana: Class or Ethnicity? New Evidence from Survey Data," Working Papers 631, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    9. Paraskevi Koufopoulou & Colin C. Williams & Athanassios Vozikis & Kyriakos Souliotis & Antonios Samprakos, 2021. "Estimating Shadow Economy Size in Greece 2000 - 2018: A Flexible MIMIC Approach," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 71(3-4), pages 23-47, July-Dece.
    10. Mangirdas Morkunas, 2022. "Measuring the Level of the Youth Informal Economy in Lithuania in 2004–2020," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    11. Elbahnasawy, Nasr G., 2021. "Can e-government limit the scope of the informal economy?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    12. Friedrich Schneider & Mangirdas Morkunas & Erika Quendler, 2023. "An estimation of the informal economy in the agricultural sector in the EU‐15 from 1996 to 2019," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(2), pages 406-447, March.
    13. Aziz N. Berdiev & James W. Saunoris & Friedrich Schneider, 2020. "Poverty and the shadow economy: The role of governmental institutions," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 921-947, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Income inequality; Shadow economy; Panel VAR;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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