A comparison of inequality measurement techniques
There are numerous statistical techniques designed for the measurement of inequality. Each individual index has a unique set of properties which can make the choice of an appropriate measure difficult. This paper reviews the desirable properties for inequality indices to exhibit and proposes an additional characteristic that an effective measure may satisfy. Existing inequality measures are assessed against these criteria and a new technique that satisfies all desirable properties is proposed. An empirical demonstration of the proposed measure is provided.
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LSE Research Online Documents on Economics
2686, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
- Frank A Cowell, 2006. "Inequality: Measurement," STICERD - Distributional Analysis Research Programme Papers 86, Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, LSE.
- Cowell, Frank A. & Kuga, Kiyoshi, 1981. "Additivity and the entropy concept: An axiomatic approach to inequality measurement," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 131-143, August.
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