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Inequality in Education and Wealth in Tanzania: A 25-Year Perspective

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  • Emmanuel Maliti

    (Consultant)

Abstract

The literature on inequality in Tanzania has been dependent on limited rounds of methodologically different household budget surveys. The literature in question seldomly goes beyond analysis of inequality trends between two rounds of surveys, thereby ignoring longer period inequality trends. This study makes use of six rounds of methodological stable Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to present a half-century trend in education and wealth inequality in Tanzania. Education inequality persists but has been declining between rural and urban areas and particularly between Dar es Salaam and other regions. Gender inequality in education has also consistently been on the decline across different age ranges, more so for older individuals than younger ones. Wealth inequality as measured by a composite index has been declining as well—mostly an outcome of the declining proportion of households in the poorest quantile in rural areas compared to an increasing proportion of urban households in the same quantile. In other words, using the DHS’s composite index of selected assets, the Tanzanian society is increasingly becoming equal in both education and wealth. The paper also discusses policy options to further reduce inequalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel Maliti, 2019. "Inequality in Education and Wealth in Tanzania: A 25-Year Perspective," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 145(3), pages 901-921, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:145:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-018-1838-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-018-1838-y
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    3. Mager, Gregor & Faße, Anja, 2021. "The Contribution of Smallholders´ Livelihood Activities on Income Inequality and Poverty: Case Study from Rural Tanzania," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315405, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Redhead, Daniel Dr. & Maliti, Emmanuel & Andrews, Jeffrey & Borgerhoff Mulder, Monique, 2023. "The Interdependence of Wealth: Exploring the associations between relational and material wealth in Pemba," SocArXiv xkcez, Center for Open Science.
    5. Alshubiri, Faris, 2021. "Financial deepening indicators and income inequality of OECD and ASIAN countries," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    6. Mafie, Gabriel K. & Hahn, Youjin & Yang, Hee-Seung, 2021. "Does Education Play a Role in Explaining the Rural‒Urban Wealth Gap? Evidence from Tanzania," Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 62(2), pages 162-177, December.
    7. Gregor Mager & Anja Faße, 2024. "The contribution of smallholders' livelihood activities on income inequality and poverty: Case study from rural Tanzania," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 644-676, January.

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