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Explaining inequality the world round: cohort size, Kuznets curves, and openness

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Author Info
Matthew Higgins
Jeffrey G. Williamson
Abstract

Klaus Deininger and Lyn Squire have recently produced an inequality data base for a panel of countries from the 1960s to the 1990s. We use these data to decompose the sources of inequality into three central parts: the demographic or cohort size effect; the so-called Kuznets Curve or demand effects; and the commitment to globalization or policy effects. We also control for education supply, the so-called natural resource curse and other variables suggested by the literature. While the Kuznets Curve comes out of hiding when the inequality relationship is conditioned by the other two, cohort size seems to be the most important force at work. We resolve the apparent conflict between this macro finding on cohort size and the contrary implications of recent research based on micro data.

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Paper provided by Federal Reserve Bank of New York in its series Staff Reports with number 79.

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Date of creation: 1999
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Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:79

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Keywords: Demography Economic development

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  8. T. Paul Schultz, 1998. "Inequality in the Distribution of Personal Income in the World: How it is Changing and Why," Working Papers 784, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
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  9. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  10. Welch, Finis, 1979. "Effects of Cohort Size on Earnings: The Baby Boom Babies' Financial Bust," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(5), pages S65-97, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  21. Jeffrey Sachs & Andrew Warner, 1995. "Economic Reform and the Progress of Global Integration," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1733, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
  22. 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.
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(explanations, 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. K. H. O'Rourke, 2001. "Globalization and Inequality: Historical Trends," CEG Working Papers 20015, Trinity College Dublin, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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  2. Anneli Kaasa, 2003. "Factors Influencing Income Inequality In Transition Economies," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 18, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia). [Downloadable!]
  3. Bertola, Giuseppe & Blau, Francine D & Kahn, Lawrence, 2001. "Comparative Analysis of Labour Market Outcomes: Lessons for the US from International Long-Run Evidence," CEPR Discussion Papers 3023, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Andres Rodriguez-Pose & Vasileios Tselios, 2006. "Education and Income Inequality in the Regions of the European Union," ERSA conference papers ersa06p370, European Regional Science Association. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. de Melo, Jaime & Gourdon, Julien & Maystre, Nicolas, 2006. "Openness, Inequality and Poverty: Endowments Matter," CEPR Discussion Papers 5738, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Joseph Francois & Hugo Rojas-Romagosa, 2005. "Household Inequality, Welfare, and the Setting of Trade Policy," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp81, IIIS. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Ricardo Hausmann & Roberto Rigobon, 2003. "An Alternative Interpretation of the 'Resource Curse': Theory and Policy Implications," NBER Working Papers 9424, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Francois, Joseph & Rojas-Romagosa, Hugo, 2005. "Equity, welfare, and the setting of trade policy in general equilibrium," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3731, The World Bank. [Downloadable!]
  9. Rémi Bazillier & Nicolas Sirven, 2006. "Les normes fondamentales du travail contribuent-elles à réduire les inégalités ?," Documents de travail 123, Centre d'Economie du Développement de l'Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV. [Downloadable!]
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  10. J. Francois & H. Rojas-Romagosa, 2004. "Trade Policy and the Household Distribution of Income," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-051/2, Tinbergen Institute, revised 15 Jun 2004. [Downloadable!]
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