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A Golden Age for All? Income Inequality and Social Classes in Italy, 1951-1973

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  • Giacomo Gabbuti
  • Edoardo Rappa

Abstract

This paper presents the first reconstruction of income inequality in Italy during the so-called 'Golden Age', by building Dynamic Social Tables (DSTs) from 1951 to 1973. The resulting estimates show increasing income inequality between 1951 and 1961 -that is, during the so-called "Economic Miracle". Then, with unemployment reaching its lowest recorded level, the first strikes in the metalmaking sector and a sudden recession led to a stagnation in inequality. While withinlabour inequality steadily declined after 1966, overall inequality reached a peak in 1969, to decline towards the levels recorded by household surveys by early-1970s. This 'Kuznetsian', inverted-U dynamics in the period of most sustained structural change of Italian history should, however, better be understood in the light of socio-political and institutional developments. Somehow at odds with prevailing narratives, we also find an increase from 1961 in the share of income accrued by Italian working women.

Suggested Citation

  • Giacomo Gabbuti & Edoardo Rappa, 2026. "A Golden Age for All? Income Inequality and Social Classes in Italy, 1951-1973," LEM Papers Series 2026/11, Laboratory of Economics and Management (LEM), Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2026/11
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