IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v72y2025ics1544612324016167.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The effect of financial derivatives on wealth inequality

Author

Listed:
  • Angelopoulos, Christos
  • Giannikos, Christos

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between financial derivatives and wealth inequality. While previous studies have acknowledged a connection between finance and inequality, the precise nature of this relationship remains uncertain. Our study aims to contribute to this discourse by isolating the impact of financial derivatives on wealth distribution, controlling for other financial factors. Using data for 15 countries from 2001–2021, we examine the relationship of exchange-traded derivatives from the Bank of International Settlements and pre-income tax wealth Gini coefficients for adults from the World Inequality Database. Employing panel econometric techniques and controlling for country fixed effects, we analyze the dynamic relationship between these variables. Contrary to conventional financial theory, which often views derivatives as redundant assets, our findings reveal a positive, significant and robust association between wealth inequality and the use of derivatives. This challenges prevailing assumptions and underscores the importance of derivatives in shaping global wealth distribution dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelopoulos, Christos & Giannikos, Christos, 2025. "The effect of financial derivatives on wealth inequality," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:72:y:2025:i:c:s1544612324016167
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2024.106587
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612324016167
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2024.106587?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. de Haan, Jakob & Sturm, Jan-Egbert, 2017. "Finance and income inequality: A review and new evidence," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 171-195.
    2. Mumtaz, Haroon & Theophilopoulou, Angeliki, 2020. "Monetary policy and wealth inequality over the great recession in the UK. An empirical analysis," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    3. Shchepeleva, Maria & Stolbov, Mikhail & Weill, Laurent, 2022. "Has the Global Financial Crisis increased wealth inequality?," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 148-160.
    4. Brei, Michael & Ferri, Giovanni & Gambacorta, Leonardo, 2023. "Financial structure and income inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    5. Banerjee, Abhijit V & Newman, Andrew F, 1993. "Occupational Choice and the Process of Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 101(2), pages 274-298, April.
    6. Grabka, Markus M., 2015. "Income and Wealth Inequality after the Financial Crisis: The Case of Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 42(2), pages 371-390.
    7. Thomas Goda & Özlem Onaran & Engelbert Stockhammer, 2017. "Income Inequality and Wealth Concentration in the Recent Crisis," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(1), pages 3-27, January.
    8. Siong Law & Hui Tan & W. Azman-Saini, 2014. "Financial Development and Income Inequality at Different Levels of Institutional Quality," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(S1), pages 21-33.
    9. Abdul Abiad & Enrica Detragiache & Thierry Tressel, 2010. "A New Database of Financial Reforms," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 57(2), pages 281-302, June.
    10. Beck, Thorsten & Degryse, Hans & Kneer, Christiane, 2014. "Is more finance better? Disentangling intermediation and size effects of financial systems," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 10(C), pages 50-64.
    11. Abdul Abiad & Ashoka Mody, 2005. "Financial Reform: What Shakes It? What Shapes It?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 66-88, March.
    12. Hites Ahir & Nicholas Bloom & Davide Furceri, 2022. "The world uncertainty index," CEP Discussion Papers dp1842, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    13. Rodrigo Adão & Paul Carrillo & Arnaud Costinot & Dave Donaldson & Dina Pomeranz, 2022. "Imports, Exports, and Earnings Inequality: Measures of Exposure and Estimates of Incidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 137(3), pages 1553-1614.
    14. Arrigoni, Simone, 2024. "Who gets the flow? Financial globalisation and wealth inequality," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    15. Hasan, Iftekhar & Horvath, Roman & Mares, Jan, 2020. "Finance and wealth inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    16. Moritz Kuhn & Moritz Schularick & Ulrike I. Steins, 2020. "Income and Wealth Inequality in America, 1949–2016," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(9), pages 3469-3519.
    17. George R. G. Clarke & Lixin Colin Xu & Heng‐fu Zou, 2006. "Finance and Income Inequality: What Do the Data Tell Us?," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 72(3), pages 578-596, January.
    18. Patrick N. Osakwe & Olga Solleder, 2023. "Wealth Distribution, Income Inequality and Financial Inclusion: A Panel Data Analysis," UNCTAD Working Papers #4, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    19. Sandra E. Black & Paul J. Devereux & Fanny Landaud & Kjell G. Salvanes, 2023. "Where Does Wealth Come From? Measuring Lifetime Resources in Norway," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 37(4), pages 115-136, Fall.
    20. repec:bla:revinw:v:20:y:1974:i:2:p:125-42 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2009. "Finance and Inequality: Theory and Evidence," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 1(1), pages 287-318, November.
    22. Abdul Abiad & Ashoka Mody, 2005. "Financial Reform: What Shakes It? What Shapes It?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 95(1), pages 66-88, March.
    23. Frost, Jon & Gambacorta, Leonardo & Gambacorta, Romina, 2022. "On the nexus between wealth inequality, financial development and financial technology," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 429-451.
    24. A. B. Atkinson & A. J. Harrison, 1974. "Wealth Distribution And Investment Income In Britain," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 20(2), pages 125-142, June.
    25. Agnello, Luca & Mallick, Sushanta K. & Sousa, Ricardo M., 2012. "Financial reforms and income inequality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 583-587.
    26. Jauch, Sebastian & Watzka, Sebastian, 2016. "Financial development and income inequality: a panel data approach," Munich Reprints in Economics 43505, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    27. Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, 2016. "Introducing a New Broad-based Index of Financial Development," IMF Working Papers 2016/005, International Monetary Fund.
    28. Emmanuel Saez & Gabriel Zucman, 2016. "Editor's Choice Wealth Inequality in the United States since 1913: Evidence from Capitalized Income Tax Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 131(2), pages 519-578.
    29. Rajan, Raghuram G. & Zingales, Luigi, 2003. "The great reversals: the politics of financial development in the twentieth century," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 5-50, July.
    30. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2007. "Finance, inequality and the poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 27-49, March.
    31. Bumann, Silke & Lensink, Robert, 2016. "Capital account liberalization and income inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 143-162.
    32. Jess Benhabib & Alberto Bisin & Mi Luo, 2017. "Earnings Inequality and Other Determinants of Wealth Inequality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(5), pages 593-597, May.
    33. Ulrike Steins & Moritz Schularick & Moritz Kuhn, 2017. "Wealth and Income Inequality in America, 1949-2013," 2017 Meeting Papers 931, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. de Haan, Jakob & Sturm, Jan-Egbert, 2017. "Finance and income inequality: A review and new evidence," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 171-195.
    2. de Haan, Jakob & Sturm, Jan-Egbert, 2017. "Finance and income inequality: A review and new evidence," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 171-195.
    3. Akisik, Orhan & Gal, Graham, 2023. "IFRS, financial development and income inequality: An empirical study using mediation analysis," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 47(2).
    4. Brei, Michael & Ferri, Giovanni & Gambacorta, Leonardo, 2023. "Financial structure and income inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    5. Sturm, Jan-Egbert & De Haan, Jakob, 2016. "Finance and income inequality revisited," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145660, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Roya Taherifar & Mark J. Holmes & Gazi M. Hassan, 2023. "Does economic openness matter in the impact of financial development on income inequality?," Working Papers in Economics 23/04, University of Waikato.
    7. Dong-Hyeon Kim & Joyce Hsieh & Shu-Chin Lin, 2021. "Financial liberalization, political institutions, and income inequality," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 1245-1281, March.
    8. Cong Minh Huynh & Nam Hoai Tran, 2023. "Financial development, income inequality, and institutional quality: A multi-dimensional analysis," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 2242128-224, June.
    9. Mansor Ibrahim, 2018. "Finance And Inequality In Eight Asian Countries: Does Size Matter," Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking, Bank Indonesia, vol. 21(1), pages 33-56, July.
    10. Mathonnat, Clément & Williams, Benjamin, 2020. "Does more finance mean more inequality in times of crisis?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(4).
    11. Tae-Sub Yun & Hee-Sun Bae & Il-Chul Moon & Deokjong Jeong, 2024. "The relationship between housing finance and inequality," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 19(1), pages 151-191, January.
    12. Koudalo, Yawovi M.A. & Wu, Ji, 2022. "Does financial liberalization reduce income inequality? Evidence from Africa," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    13. Anjan K. Saha & Vinod Mishra & Russell Smyth, 2021. "Financial development and top income shares in OECD countries," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(3), pages 952-978, January.
    14. Nahid Farnaz, 2023. "Does Financial Development Relieve or Exacerbate Income Inequality? A Quantile Regression Approach," Economics Discussion Paper Series 2311, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    15. G. P. Manish & Colin O’Reilly, 2019. "Banking regulation, regulatory capture and inequality," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 145-164, July.
    16. Baiardi, Donatella & Morana, Claudio, 2018. "Financial development and income distribution inequality in the euro area," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 40-55.
    17. Chiu, Yi-Bin & Lee, Chien-Chiang, 2019. "Financial development, income inequality, and country risk," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-18.
    18. Jung, Samuel Moon & Vijverberg, Chu-Ping C., 2019. "Financial development and income inequality in China – A spatial data analysis," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 295-320.
    19. Hasan, Iftekhar & Horvath, Roman & Mares, Jan, 2020. "Finance and wealth inequality," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    20. Arrigoni, Simone, 2024. "Who gets the flow? Financial globalisation and wealth inequality," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:72:y:2025:i:c:s1544612324016167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.