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Estimating Lorenz Curves Using a Dirichlet Distribution

Author

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  • Duangkamon Chotikapanich

    (Curtin University of Technology)

  • William E. Griffiths

    (University of New England)

Abstract

The Lorenz curve relates the cumulative proportion of income to the cumulative proportion of population. When a particular functional form of the Lorenz curve is specified it is typically estimated by linear or nonlinear least squares assuming that the error terms are independently and normally distributed. Observations on cumulative proportions are clearly neither independent nor normally distributed. This paper proposes and applies a new methodology which recognizes the cumulative proportional nature of the Lorenz curve data by assuming that the proportion of income is distributed as a Dirichlet distribution. Five Lorenz-curve specifications were used to demonstrate the technique. Once a likelihood function and the posterior probability density function for each specification are derived we can use maximum likelihood or Bayesian estimation to estimate the parameters. Maximum likelihood estimates and Bayesian posterior probability density functions for the Gini coefficient are also obtained for each Lorenz-curve specification.

Suggested Citation

  • Duangkamon Chotikapanich & William E. Griffiths, 2000. "Estimating Lorenz Curves Using a Dirichlet Distribution," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 1215, Econometric Society.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:wc2000:1215
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "A Review of Decomposition of Income Inequality," IZA Discussion Papers 1221, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Heshmati, Almas, 2004. "Inequalities and Their Measurement," IZA Discussion Papers 1219, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. T. Kämpke & R. Pestel & F.J. Radermacher, 2003. "A Computational Concept for Normative Equity," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 129-163, March.
    5. Xiaofeng Lv & Gupeng Zhang & Xinkuo Xu & Qinghai Li, 2017. "Bootstrap-calibrated empirical likelihood confidence intervals for the difference between two Gini indexes," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(2), pages 195-216, June.
    6. Ashraf Gouda & Tamás Szántai, 2010. "On numerical calculation of probabilities according to Dirichlet distribution," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 177(1), pages 185-200, June.
    7. Satya Paul & Sriram Shankar, 2020. "An alternative single parameter functional form for Lorenz curve," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1393-1402, September.
    8. Wang, Dongliang & Zhao, Yichuan & Gilmore, Dirk W., 2016. "Jackknife empirical likelihood confidence interval for the Gini index," Statistics & Probability Letters, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 289-295.
    9. Gholamreza Hajargasht & William E. Griffiths, 2016. "Inference for Lorenz Curves," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 2022, The University of Melbourne.
    10. Mathias Silva, 2023. "Parametric estimation of income distributions using grouped data: an Approximate Bayesian Computation approach [Working Papers / Documents de travail]," Working Papers hal-04066544, HAL.
    11. Enora Belz, 2019. "Estimating Inequality Measures from Quantile Data," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes 1 & University of Caen) 2019-09, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes 1, University of Caen and CNRS.
    12. Chiara Gigliarano & Pietro Muliere, 2013. "Estimating the Lorenz curve and Gini index with right censored data: a Polya tree approach," METRON, Springer;Sapienza Università di Roma, vol. 71(2), pages 105-122, September.
    13. Khosravi Tanak, A. & Mohtashami Borzadaran, G.R. & Ahmadi, Jafar, 2018. "New functional forms of Lorenz curves by maximizing Tsallis entropy of income share function under the constraint on generalized Gini index," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 511(C), pages 280-288.
    14. Enora Belz, 2019. "Estimating Inequality Measures from Quantile Data," Working Papers halshs-02320110, HAL.
    15. E. Gómez-Déniz, 2016. "A family of arctan Lorenz curves," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 1215-1233, November.
    16. José M. R. Murteira & Joaquim J. S. Ramalho, 2016. "Regression Analysis of Multivariate Fractional Data," Econometric Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 515-552, April.
    17. Hasegawa, Hikaru & Kozumi, Hideo, 2003. "Estimation of Lorenz curves: a Bayesian nonparametric approach," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 115(2), pages 277-291, August.
    18. Xiaofeng Lv & Gupeng Zhang & Xinkuo Xu & Qinghai Li, 2017. "Bootstrap-calibrated empirical likelihood confidence intervals for the difference between two Gini indexes," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 15(2), pages 195-216, June.
    19. Andrew C. Chang & Phillip Li & Shawn M. Martin, 2018. "Comparing cross‐country estimates of Lorenz curves using a Dirichlet distribution across estimators and datasets," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(3), pages 473-478, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C43 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Index Numbers and Aggregation
    • C13 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Estimation: General
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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