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Income vs. Consumption Inequality in South Korea: Evaluating Stochastic Dominance Rankings by Various Household Attributes

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  • Heshmati, Almas

    (Jönköping University)

  • Rudolf, Robert

    (Korea University)

Abstract

Using four rounds (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008) of the Korean Labor and Income Panel Study (KLIPS), this article examines determinants of household income and consumption levels and inequalities. Unconditional as well as conditional stochastic dominance (SD) tests are performed by year, by household heads' characteristics (age, education, gender, health, marital status and occupation) and by household characteristics (household type, household size, degree of urbanization). Mean least squares regression techniques are employed to predict conditional expectations. The residuals containing effects for each characteristic conditional on the remaining characteristics are then used for the SD analysis employing extended Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests of first- and second-order dominance in distribution of income and consumption. The results provide a detailed and up-to-date picture of inequality and poverty by subgroup in South Korea which helps targeting particularly vulnerable groups. Overall, while inequality in disposable income is found to be often substantial, strong savings preferences of richer households lead to relatively low consumption inequality. Households headed by elderly, uneducated, divorced or widowed, females and those with health problems are found to be the most vulnerable groups in Korea.

Suggested Citation

  • Heshmati, Almas & Rudolf, Robert, 2013. "Income vs. Consumption Inequality in South Korea: Evaluating Stochastic Dominance Rankings by Various Household Attributes," IZA Discussion Papers 7731, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7731
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    2. Sung-Jin Kang & Robert Rudolf, 2016. "Rising Or Falling Inequality In Korea? Population Aging And Generational Trends," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 61(05), pages 1-26, December.
    3. Almas Heshmati & Robert Rudolf, 2014. "Income versus Consumption Inequality in Korea: Evaluating Stochastic Dominance Rankings by Various Household Attributes," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 413-436, December.
    4. Sheung-Chi Chow & Ma. Rebecca Valenzuela & Wing-Keung Wong, 2016. "New Tests for Richness and Poorness:A Stochastic Dominance Analysis of Income Distributions in Hong Kong," Monash Economics Working Papers 25-16, Monash University, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    consumption inequality; disposable income; bootstrap; stochastic dominance; poverty; South Korea;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

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