Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/96323 
Year of Publication: 
2014
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2014/004
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
This paper discusses different approaches to the measurement of global interpersonal in equality. Trends in global interpersonal inequality during 1975-2005 are measured using data from UNU-WIDER's World Income Inequality Database. In order to better understand the trends, global interpersonal inequality is decomposed into within-country and between-country inequality. The paper illustrates that the relationship between global interpersonal inequality and these constituent components is a complex one. In particular, we demonstrate that the changes in China's and India's income distributions over the past 30 years have simultaneously caused inequality to rise domestically in those countries, while tending to reduce global inter-personal inequality. In light of these findings, we reflect on the meaning and policy relevance of global vis-à-vis domestic inequality measures.
Subjects: 
global interpersonal inequality
inequality
inequality measurement
JEL: 
D31
D63
E01
O15
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9230-725-7
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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