We examine linkages between aggregate household income, distribution of that income, and aggregate cross-country expenditure patterns. We are able to decompose income effects into international income dispersion effects (from variations in average income) and national income dispersion (income...

An age-cohort decomposition applied to panel data identifies how the mean, overall inequality and income-related inequality of self-assessed health evolve over the life cycle and differ across generations in 11 EU countries. There is a moderate and steady decline in mean health until the age of...

The inequality dataset compiled in the 1990s by the World Bank and extendedby the UN has been both widely used and strongly criticized. The criticisms raisequestions about conclusions drawn from secondary inequality datasets in general. Wedevelop techniques to deal with national and...

We analyze general equilibrium relationships between trade policy and the household distribution of income, decomposing social welfare into real income level and variance components through Gini and Atkinson indexes. We embed these inequality-adjusted social welfare functions in a general...

There is a concern that ordered responses on health questions may differ acrosspopulations or even across subgroups of a population. This reporting heterogeneity mayinvalidate group comparisons and measures of health inequality. This paper proposes a test fordifferential reporting in ordered...

This discussion paper resulted in a publication in 'Social Science & Medicine' (2010). Volume 70, issue 3, pages 428-438.<P> A strong relationship between health and socioeconomic status is firmly established. Yet, partly due to the multidimensional and dynamic nature of the variables, the causal...</p>

This discussion paper resulted in a publication in the <A href="http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/REST_a_00103">'Review of Economics and Statistics'</A>, 2010, 93(3), 982-994.<P> We propose a first order bias correction term for the Gini index to reduce the bias due to grouping. The first order correction term is obtained from studying the estimator of the...</p></a>

Who is wealthy? This paper presents empirical estimates of household movements into and out of the top percents of the wealth distribution over individual life cycles. There are life-cycle motives and precautionary motives for wealth accumulation. The opportunities to accumulate wealth create...

This discussion paper resulted in the article Broad and Narrow Bracketing in Gift Certificate Spending in the 'European Economic Review' (2014). Volume 66, pages 284-302.<P> We survey 1,050 consumers who have just redeemed one or more open loop gift certicates to learn whether they view gift...</p>

See also the article 'Religion and income: heterogeneity between countries' in the <I>Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization</I>, 74, 12-29.<P> This paper tests whether the behaviour of households in different countries is homogeneous with respect to the influence of religion on income. The...</p></i>