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Income Distribution Changes and their Impact in the Post-World War II Period

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  • Giovanni Andrea Cornia
  • Tony Addison
  • Sampsa Kiiski

Abstract

This paper analyses the trends in within-country inequality during the post-World War II period, with particular attention to the last 20 years, on the basis of a review of the relevant literature and of an econometric analysis of inequality trends in 73 countries accounting for 80 per cent of the world's population and 91 per cent of world GDP-PPP. The paper suggests that the last two decades have been characterized by a surge in within-country inequality in about two-thirds of the developing, developed and transitional nations analysed.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Andrea Cornia & Tony Addison & Sampsa Kiiski, 2003. "Income Distribution Changes and their Impact in the Post-World War II Period," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2003-28, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:dp2003-28
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    2. Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose & Vassilis Tselios, 2009. "Education And Income Inequality In The Regions Of The European Union," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(3), pages 411-437, August.
    3. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Vassilis Tselios, 2007. "Mapping the European regional educational distribution: Educational attainment and inequality," Working Papers 2007-18, Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados (IMDEA) Ciencias Sociales.
    4. Nancy Birdsall, 2008. "Income Distribution: Effects on Growth and Development," Chapters, in: Amitava Krishna Dutt & Jaime Ros (ed.), International Handbook of Development Economics, Volumes 1 & 2, volume 0, chapter 48, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Alex Cobham & Andrew Sumner, 2013. "Is it all about the tails? The Palma measure of income inequality," Working Papers 308, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    6. Schrecker, Ted, 2007. "Intra-metropolitan health disparities in Canada: Studying how and why globalization matters, and what to do about it," Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, Working Paper Series qt3z7544g1, Center for Global, International and Regional Studies, UC Santa Cruz.
    7. José Gabriel Palma, 2011. "Forum 2011," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 42(1), pages 87-153, January.
    8. Charles-Coll, Jorge A., 2010. "The optimal rate of inequality: A framework for the relationship between income inequality and economic growth," MPRA Paper 28921, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Tausch, Arno, 2009. "Ist die Globalisierung fit für das soziale Europa? [Is Globalization fit for Social Europe?]," MPRA Paper 14264, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Arno Tausch, 2009. "Das EU-Budget und der Lissabon-Prozess," Working Paper Reihe der AK Wien - Materialien zu Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft 107, Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte für Wien, Abteilung Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Statistik.
    11. Aizenman, Joshua & Lee, Minsoo & Park, Donghyun, 2012. "The Relationship between Structural Change and Inequality: A Conceptual Overview with Special Reference to Developing Asia," ADBI Working Papers 396, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    12. Simone Bertoli & Francesco Farina, 2007. "The functional distribution of income: a review of the theoretical literature and of the empirical evidence around its recent pattern in European countries," Department of Economic Policy, Finance and Development (DEPFID) University of Siena 005, Department of Economic Policy, Finance and Development (DEPFID), University of Siena.
    13. Alex Cobham, Andy Sumner, 2013. "Is It All About the Tails? The Palma Measure of Income Inequality-Working Paper 343," Working Papers 343, Center for Global Development.
    14. Dawood Mamoon, 2006. "Which Institutions Are More Relevant Than Others in Inequality Mitigation?," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 893-912.
    15. Arslan Razmi, 2007. "Integration, Informalization, and Income Gaps in Developing Countries: Some General Equilibrium Explorations in Light of Accumulating Evidence," UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers 2007-06, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics.
    16. Cook, Paul & Uchida, Yuichiro, 2008. "Structural change, competition and income distribution," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(2), pages 274-286, May.
    17. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Tselios, Vassilis, 2007. "Analysis of Educational Distribution in Europe: Educational Attainment and Inequality Within Regions," Papers DYNREG08, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    18. Arslan Razmi, 2009. "Can the HOSS framework help shed light on the simultaneous growth of inequality and informalization in developing countries?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 145(2), pages 361-372, July.
    19. Firat Demir & Jiandong Ju & Yin Zhou, 2012. "Income inequality and structures of international trade," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(2), pages 167-180.
    20. John Weeks, 2005. "Inequality Trends in Some Developed OECD Countries," Working Papers 6, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    21. Mcknight, Abigail, 2019. "Understanding the relationship between poverty, inequality and growth: a review of existing evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103458, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    22. Dumitriu, Ramona & Stefanescu, Răzvan, 2015. "Economic development of Comecon countries," MPRA Paper 89012, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 05 Jan 2016.
    23. Abigail McKnight, 2019. "Understanding the relationship between poverty, inequality and growth: a review of existing evidence," CASE Papers /216, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.

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