Global Income Distribution 1965–98

Convergence and Marginalisation

Bibliographic Data

ID12116221
AuthorsArne Melchior (corresponding author), Kjetil Telles (0000-0002-7978-0825), Kjetil Telle
Year2001
Volume28
Issue1
Pages75-98
Publication date2001-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueForum for Development Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0803-9410 • E-ISSN: 1891-1765
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08039410.2001.9666158
OpenAlexW2087045705
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited11

Has international income inequality increased or not during the last four decades? This article presents new evidence on international income distribution. Using income data that are adjusted for price-level differences, and population-weighted inequality measures, it is shown that international inequality has been reduced since the late 1960s. The rapid economic growth in some large developing countries in Asia contributed strongly to this trend. However, some poor developing countries—especially in Africa since 1980—have faced economic decline and contributed to worldwide divergence. Because of this, unambiguous conclusions about world welfare are difficult to draw, and the income gap between the very poorest and the very richest countries has increased

Convergence (economics · Demographic economics · Developing country · Development economics · Distribution (mathematics · Divergence (linguistics · Economic growth · Economic inequality · Economics · Income distribution · Income inequality metrics · Inequality · Population · Poverty · Sociology · Welfare · Demography · Economic Growth and Productivity · Economic Theory and Policy · Income, Poverty, and Inequality