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Wellbeing inequality and preference heterogeneity

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  • Koen DECANCQ
  • Marc FLEURBAEY
  • Erik SCHOKKAERT

Abstract

Standard measures of multidimensional inequality (implicitly) assume common preferences for all individuals and, hence, are not sensitive to preference heterogeneity among the members of society. In this paper, we measure the inequality of the distribution of equivalent incomes, which is a preference-sensitive multidimensional well-being measure. To quantify the contribution of preference heterogeneity to well-being inequality, we use a decomposition method that calculates well-being inequality in different counterfactual distributions. We focus on four sources of well-being inequality: the correlation between outcomes and preferences, the preference heterogeneity, the correlation between the outcome dimensions, and the inequality within each of the outcome dimensions. We find that preference heterogeneity accounts for a considerable part of overall well-being inequality in Russia for the period of 1995 to 2005.
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Suggested Citation

  • Koen DECANCQ & Marc FLEURBAEY & Erik SCHOKKAERT, 2017. "Wellbeing inequality and preference heterogeneity," LIDAM Reprints CORE 2839, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvrp:2839
    Note: In : Economica, 84, 210-238, 2017
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    as
    1. Fleurbaey,Marc & Maniquet,François, 2011. "A Theory of Fairness and Social Welfare," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521715348, September.
    2. Koen Decancq, 2014. "Copula-based measurement of dependence between dimensions of well-being," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(3), pages 681-701.
    3. Koen Decancq & Marc Fleurbaey & Erik Schokkaert, 2015. "Happiness, Equivalent Incomes and Respect for Individual Preferences," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82, pages 1082-1106, December.
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    14. Bosmans, Kristof & Decancq, Koen & Ooghe, Erwin, 2015. "What do normative indices of multidimensional inequality really measure?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 94-104.
    15. Marc Fleurbaey & Erik Schokkaert, 2013. "Behavioral Welfare Economics and Redistribution," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 180-205, August.
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    18. Fleurbaey, Marc & Blanchet, Didier, 2013. "Beyond GDP: Measuring Welfare and Assessing Sustainability," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199767199.
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    22. repec:bla:econom:v:70:y:2003:i:278:p:197-221 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Koen Decancq & Marc Fleurbaey & François Maniquet, 2019. "Multidimensional poverty measurement with individual preferences," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 17(1), pages 29-49, March.
    2. Domenico Moramarco & Bram De Rock, 2022. "Nonparametric analysis of heterogeneous multidimensional fairness," Working Papers 621, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    3. Philipp Poppitz, 2019. "Multidimensional Inequality and Divergence: The Eurozone Crisis in Retrospect," Working Papers V-420-19, University of Oldenburg, Department of Economics, revised Feb 2019.
    4. Iwasaki, Masaki, 2022. "Social Preferences and Well-Being: Theory and Evidence," MPRA Paper 112198, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Marko Ledic & Ivica Rubil, 2020. "Does going beyond income make a difference? Income vs. equivalent income in the EU over 2007-2011," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 44(4), pages 423-462.
    6. Masaki Iwasaki, 2023. "Social preferences and well-being: theory and evidence," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Harun Onder & Pierre Pestieau & Grégory Ponthière, 2019. "Equivalent income versus equivalent lifetime: does the metric matter?," PSE Working Papers halshs-02187803, HAL.
    8. Poppitz, Philipp, 2017. "Can subjective data improve inequality measurement? A multidimensional index of economic inequality," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168252, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    9. Marko Ledić & Ivica Rubil, 2021. "Beyond Wage Gap, Towards Job Quality Gap: The Role of Inter-Group Differences in Wages, Non-Wage Job Dimensions, and Preferences," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 523-561, June.
    10. Barbosa, Estela Capelas & Cookson, Richard, 2019. "Multiple inequity in health care: An example from Brazil," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 1-8.
    11. Domenico Moramarco & François Maniquet, 2022. "On the measurement of well-being with reference consumption," Working Papers 629, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    12. Marc Fleurbaey & Gregory Ponthiere, 2023. "Measuring well-being and lives worth living," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 75(4), pages 1247-1266, May.
    13. H. Xavier Jara & Erik Schokkaert, 2017. "Putting measures of individual well-being to use for ex-ante policy evaluation," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(4), pages 421-440, December.
    14. Lukas Leitner, 2024. "Imprecision in the Estimation of Willingness to Pay Using Subjective Well-Being Data," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(7), pages 1-40, October.
    15. Philipp Poppitz, 2019. "Can Subjective Data Improve the Measurement of Inequality? A Multidimensional Index of Economic Inequality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 511-531, December.
    16. François Maniquet & Domenico Moramarco, 2022. "On the Measurement of Well-Being with Reference Consumption," Working Papers ECARES 2022-41, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

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