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The World Distribution of Income and Income Inequality

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Author Info
Heshmati, Almas () (MTT Economic Research and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

This review covers a range of measures and methods frequently employed in empirical analysis of global income inequality and global income distribution. Different determinant factors along with quantification of their impacts and empirical results from different case studies are presented. These results are further contrasted to those obtained based on the World Income Inequality Database. A number of issues crucial to the studies of global income inequality are addressed. These are the concepts, measurement and decomposition of inequality, the world distribution of income and inequality measured at different levels of aggregation: global, international and intra-national. We analyse income at each of the three levels, discuss the benefit and limitations of each approach and present empirical results found in the literature and compare it with those based on the World Income Inequality Database. Research on the world income inequality supports increased awareness of the problem, its measurement and quantification, identification of causal factors and of policy measures to affect global income inequality.

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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1267.

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Length: 41 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1267

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Related research
Keywords: global income inequality; income distribution; inequality indices;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C10 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: General - - - General
D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
I30 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare and Poverty - - - General
N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Income, and Wealth - - - General, International, or Comparative

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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.:
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Full references

Cited by:
(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. Almas Heshmati, 2007. "Establishment of Science Parks in the Federal Region of Kurdistan," IZA Discussion Papers 3252, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "Continental and Sub-Continental Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 1271, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  3. Tausch, Arno, 2008. "The Efficiency of Social Expenditures in the Fight Against Extreme Poverty in Europe [Die Effizienz Der Sozialausgaben Im Kampf Gegen Extreme Armut in Europa]," MPRA Paper 10612, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  4. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "Data Issues and Databases Used in Analysis of Growth, Poverty and Economic Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 1263, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  5. TAUSCH, Arno, 2008. "On the world market trajectory of 21 major book publishing companies in globalization and European studies in 100+ countries. From “Amsterdam University Press” via “Palgrave” and “Nova Scien," MPRA Paper 9613, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
  6. Basu, Kaushik, 2005. "Globalization, Poverty and Inequality: What Is the Relationship? What Can Be Done?," Working Papers RP2005/32, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  7. Almas Heshmati, 2007. "A Model for Industrial Development of the Federal Region of Kurdistan: Science and Technology Policy, Instruments and Institutions," IZA Discussion Papers 3213, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  8. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "Growth, Inequality and Poverty Relationships," IZA Discussion Papers 1338, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  9. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "Regional Income Inequality in Selected Large Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 1307, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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