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Income polarization in China: Trends and changes

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  • Wang, Chen
  • Wan, Guanghua

Abstract

This paper estimates income polarization in China from 1978 to 2010 and decomposes the estimated polarization by population subgroups. In addition, a framework is proposed to disentangle a change in polarization into a growth and a redistribution component. This framework is then used to quantify the contributions of various income sources to a rise in polarization in China between 2002 and 2007. The analytical results suggest that (1) income polarization exhibited a broadly increasing trend from 1978 to 2010; (2) income polarization was large and rising among rural citizens, while low and declining among urban citizens; polarization of migrants also declined; (3) geographically, income polarization rose in east and particularly central China, while west China was most polarized with little change over time; and (4) the rise in polarization between 2002 and 2007 was mainly driven by the investment income, followed by transfers. Conversely, business income is polarization-reducing, especially in rural China. To a lesser extent, wage is also polarization-reducing, especially among migrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Chen & Wan, Guanghua, 2015. "Income polarization in China: Trends and changes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 58-72.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:chieco:v:36:y:2015:i:c:p:58-72
    DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2015.08.007
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    16. Belton M. Fleisher & William H. McGuire & Yaqin Su & Min Qiang Zhao, 2024. "Polarization of employment and wages in China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 49-71, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Polarization decomposition; Alienation; Identification; Income distribution; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • O53 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Asia including Middle East

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