Divergent incomes, divergent lives? A multidimensional assessment of disparities in the level of living during Sweden’s income equality U-turn, 1968-2010

Income inequality typically measures dispersion across populations, while analyses of other welfare dimensions focus on group differences. This study applies population-wide dispersion analysis to non-income dimensions of the level of living, comparing their trends with income inequality patterns. Using Sweden’s Level-of-Living survey data from 1968-2010, we analyzed inequalities in health, education, social relationships, civic participation, victimization, and residential space using mean average difference (MAD), relative mean average difference (RMAD) and concentration measures. Our findings challenge the assumption that non-income inequalities mirror income inequality trends. Only social relationships and participation showed partial alignment, with absolute gaps smallest during periods of low income inequality. Our results suggest that income inequality trends should not be automatically considered indicative of broader societal inequalities

Demographic economics · Economics · Labour economics · Low income · Sociology · Research in Social Sciences · Social and Educational Sciences · Social Policy and Reform Studies