Handbook of Income Distribution 

About: Handbook of Income Distribution is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Income distribution & Inequality. It has an ISSN identifier of 1574-0056. Over the lifetime, 38 publications have been published receiving 4323 citations.

Measurement of inequality

Abstract: The analysis of inequality is placed in the context of recent developments in economics and statistics.

Chapter 11 The distribution of wealth

Abstract: This chapter is concerned with the distribution of personal wealth, which usually refers to the material assets that can be sold in the marketpace, although on occasion pension rights are also included. We summarise the available evidence on wealth distribution for a number of countries. This confirms the well known fact that wealth is more unequally distributed than income, and points to a long term downward trend in wealth inequality over most of the twentieth century. We also review the various theories that help account for these feature. Lifecycle accumulation is one popular explanation of wealth differences, but inheritance is also widely recognised as playing a major role, especially at the upper end of the wealth range. A recurrent theme in work on wealth distribution is the relative importance of these two sources of wealth differences. We discuss the results of studies that assess the contributions of inheritance and lifecycle factors, and give attention also to a variety of related issues, such as the link between wealth status across generations, and the possible motives for leaving bequests.

Chapter 5 Empirical evidence on income inequality in industrialized countries

Abstract: This chapter reviews the evidence on cross-national comparisons of annual disposable income inequality in over 20 wealthy nations. We begin by reviewing a number of conceptual and measurement issues which must be addressed by any cross-national comparison of survey-based household income data. With these caveats in mind, we present data on both the level of inequality during the early to mid-1990s, and in inequality trends since 1970. While most comparisons are made in terms of relative incomes within nations, we also make some real income comparisons at a point in time using purchasing power parities. The data indicate that a wide range of inequality exists across these rich nations during this decade, with the most unequal nation experiencing a level of inequality which is more than twice the level found in the most equal nation. Country specific trends in income inequality are more similar, although not universally so. The large majority of nations have experienced rising income inequality over the last decade or longer. This increase is not offset by changes in income mobility over this period, and follows a period of declining income inequality in most of these same nations.

Chapter 8 Theories of persistent inequality and intergenerational mobility

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the existing theories of persistent inequality across generations. The chapter discusses total economic inequality both in wealth and in earnings and focuses on the intergenerational mobility dimension of total inequality. The chapter presents a nonexhaustive, nontechnical survey of existing empirical work about intergenerational mobility and persistent inequality among dynasties. The question of intergenerational mobility has always been one of the most controversial issues indeed, both in actual political conflicts and in academic writings by social scientists, and conflicting theories in this area have very often been motivated by conflicting qualitative perceptions of the extent of mobility (and conversely).