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The UK's wealth distribution and characteristics of high-wealth households

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  • Advani, Arun

    (University of Warwick, CAGE, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), and the LSE International Inequalities Institute (III))

  • Bangham, George

    (Resolution Foundation)

  • Leslie, Jack

    (Resolution Foundation)

Abstract

We show that wealth inequality in the UK is high and has increased slightly over the past decade as financial asset prices increased in the wake of the financial crisis. But data deficiencies are a major barrier in understanding the true distribution, composition and size of household wealth. The most comprehensive survey of household wealth in the UK does a good job of capturing the vast majority of the wealth distribution, but that nearly £800 billion of wealth held by the very wealthiest UK households is missing. We also find tentative evidence that survey measures of high-wealth families undervalue their assets – our central estimate of the true value of wealth held by households in the UK is 5% higher than the survey data suggests

Suggested Citation

  • Advani, Arun & Bangham, George & Leslie, Jack, 2021. "The UK's wealth distribution and characteristics of high-wealth households," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 576, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
  • Handle: RePEc:cge:wacage:576
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    Cited by:

    1. Arun Advani & Hannah Tarrant, 2021. "Behavioural responses to a wealth tax," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3-4), pages 509-537, September.
    2. Paolo Acciari & Facundo Alvaredo & Salvatore Morelli, 2021. "The concentration of personal wealth in Italy 1995-2016," PSE Working Papers halshs-03226113, HAL.
    3. Arun Advani & Helen Hughson & Hannah Tarrant, 2021. "Revenue and distributional modelling for a UK wealth tax," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3-4), pages 699-736, September.
    4. Glen Loutzenhiser & Elizabeth Mann, 2021. "Liquidity issues: solutions for the asset rich, cash poor," Fiscal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3-4), pages 651-675, September.

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    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution

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