January 22, 2018
Written by WID.world

New paper on extreme income inequality in Brazil, India, the Middle-East and South Africa (WID.world Working Paper 2018/4)

This new paper by Lydia Assouad, Lucas Chancel and Marc Morgan presents new findings about inequality dynamics in Brazil, India, the Middle-East and South Africa by combining tax data, household surveys and national accounts.

In all of these four regions, top 10% earners receive more than 50% of national income. These societies are characterized by a dual social structure, with an extremely rich group at the top whose income levels are broadly comparable to their counterparts in high-income countries, and a much poorer mass of the population. The authors highlight the importance of the historical legacy of social segregation and of modern institutions in shaping income disparities.

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