This paper examines the relationship between inequality and economic growth in 18 LIS countries. They begin with a discussion of the fact that issues of conceptual and statistical comparability are essential to the understanding and measurement of the growth-equality relationship and their...

This paper examines the effects of demographic structure on the evolution of inequality in Italy from 1977 to 1995, and on its inequality ranking relative to 11 of the other 14 European Union countries in the mid-1990s. The composition of Italian households was substantially different in 1995...

This chapter addresses the important issue of the quality of time series data on income distribution. We hope to suggest both standards and practice patterns that will improve the production and use of time series data on inequality. Thus, we address three groups: primary data producers;...

In the Italian public debate growing attention has been recently paid to ?household impoverishment?. Subjective indicators of economic condition show that this concern reflects a common sentiment of the Italian population. On the other hand, estimates based on the Bank of Italy?s Survey of...

This paper compares levels and trends in income inequality in industrialized nations. In the mid-1990s, the United States had the highest overall level of inequality of any rich OECD nation, while Northern and Central European countries had the lowest levels. Using a variety of national sources,...

Greater social cohesion is an explicit goal of the European Union. Progress is monitored considering the performance in each member country on the basis of national indicators; EU-wide estimates of inequality and poverty play no role. Yet this is a basic information to evaluate the progress of...