Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction

In response to a growing interest in comparing inequality levels and trends across countries, several cross-national inequality databases are now available. These databases differ considerably in purpose, coverage, data sources, inclusion and exclu...

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Main Authors: Ferreira, Francisco H. G., Lustig, Nora, Teles, Daniel
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/11/25384034/appraising-cross-national-income-inequality-databases-introduction
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23451
id okr-10986-23451
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic HOUSEHOLD INCOMES
HARMONIZATION
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES
IMPUTATIONS
POVERTY LINE
INEQUALITY DYNAMICS
DISPOSABLE INCOME
DATA CENTER
INEQUALITY INDICATORS
INCOME
INCREASING INEQUALITY
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
POVERTY ESTIMATES
TAXONOMY
MARKET INCOME
ABBREVIATIONS
INEQUALITY INDEX
ECONOMIC REVIEW
INFORMATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
INCOME STUDY
MULTIPLE IMPUTATIONS
MEASUREMENT ERRORS
MULTIPLE IMPUTATION
RESEARCHER
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSES
COUNTRY REGRESSIONS
AVERAGE INEQUALITY
DISCLOSURE
BINDING
INDICES
DISPOSABLE INCOME INEQUALITY
OPEN ACCESS
CLASSIFICATIONS
INCOME INEQUALITY DATA
ADVANCED COUNTRIES
INSTITUTIONS
TIME PERIODS
EARNINGS INEQUALITY
DATA
INEQUALITY LEVELS
INEQUALITY OBSERVATIONS
CROSS-COUNTRY INEQUALITY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DOCUMENT
ENTRIES
INEQUALITY MEASURES
INCOME INEQUALITY
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS
ARTICLES
CROSS-COUNTRY REGRESSION
CASES
DOCUMENTS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
SECONDARY SOURCES
STANDARDIZATION
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
WEBSITES
RESEARCH
INCOME LEVELS
STANDARDS
PRODUCT
INEQUALITY TRENDS
ARTICLE
DATABASES
CLASSIFICATION
CAPABILITIES
GOVERNMENT SERVICES
PUBLISHING
COUNTRY REPORTS
INCOME DATA
USERS
READING
CONSUMPTION
RELIABILITY
COUNTRY LEVEL
INEQUALITY ESTIMATES
INSPECTION
SOFTWARE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
BEST PRACTICES
RESULTS
IMPUTATION METHODS
INEQUALITY SERIES
DESCRIPTION
INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS
PURCHASING POWER
MARKET INCOME INEQUALITY
POLITICAL SCIENCE
INDEX
INEQUALITY DATA
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
RESEARCHERS
INCOME COMPONENTS
INCOMES
SOCIAL SCIENCE
MEMBER COUNTRIES
RELATIVE POVERTY
CASE
INEQUALITY MEASURE
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
RESULT
DATA SETS
CONCEPT
GROSS INCOME
DATA SET
OBJECT
SERVERS
REDISTRIBUTIVE IMPACT
MEASURING INCOME INEQUALITY
IMPUTATION
GINI COEFFICIENT
DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACT
INSTITUTION
STANDARD
DATABASE PRODUCERS
ACRONYM
WEBSITE
POLICY RESEARCH
INCOME REDISTRIBUTION
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
CONCEPTS
DATABASE
MARKET INCOMES
DECLINING INEQUALITY
POVERTY ANALYSIS
MISSING DATA
USER
INEQUALITY
STORAGE
PUBLIC GOODS
NEGATIVE CORRELATION
spellingShingle HOUSEHOLD INCOMES
HARMONIZATION
CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES
IMPUTATIONS
POVERTY LINE
INEQUALITY DYNAMICS
DISPOSABLE INCOME
DATA CENTER
INEQUALITY INDICATORS
INCOME
INCREASING INEQUALITY
INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES
POVERTY ESTIMATES
TAXONOMY
MARKET INCOME
ABBREVIATIONS
INEQUALITY INDEX
ECONOMIC REVIEW
INFORMATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
INCOME STUDY
MULTIPLE IMPUTATIONS
MEASUREMENT ERRORS
MULTIPLE IMPUTATION
RESEARCHER
POLICY DISCUSSIONS
REGRESSION ANALYSES
COUNTRY REGRESSIONS
AVERAGE INEQUALITY
DISCLOSURE
BINDING
INDICES
DISPOSABLE INCOME INEQUALITY
OPEN ACCESS
CLASSIFICATIONS
INCOME INEQUALITY DATA
ADVANCED COUNTRIES
INSTITUTIONS
TIME PERIODS
EARNINGS INEQUALITY
DATA
INEQUALITY LEVELS
INEQUALITY OBSERVATIONS
CROSS-COUNTRY INEQUALITY
DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
DOCUMENT
ENTRIES
INEQUALITY MEASURES
INCOME INEQUALITY
ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS
ARTICLES
CROSS-COUNTRY REGRESSION
CASES
DOCUMENTS
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
SECONDARY SOURCES
STANDARDIZATION
HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS
WEBSITES
RESEARCH
INCOME LEVELS
STANDARDS
PRODUCT
INEQUALITY TRENDS
ARTICLE
DATABASES
CLASSIFICATION
CAPABILITIES
GOVERNMENT SERVICES
PUBLISHING
COUNTRY REPORTS
INCOME DATA
USERS
READING
CONSUMPTION
RELIABILITY
COUNTRY LEVEL
INEQUALITY ESTIMATES
INSPECTION
SOFTWARE
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE
BEST PRACTICES
RESULTS
IMPUTATION METHODS
INEQUALITY SERIES
DESCRIPTION
INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS
PURCHASING POWER
MARKET INCOME INEQUALITY
POLITICAL SCIENCE
INDEX
INEQUALITY DATA
INCOME DISTRIBUTION
RESEARCHERS
INCOME COMPONENTS
INCOMES
SOCIAL SCIENCE
MEMBER COUNTRIES
RELATIVE POVERTY
CASE
INEQUALITY MEASURE
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
RESULT
DATA SETS
CONCEPT
GROSS INCOME
DATA SET
OBJECT
SERVERS
REDISTRIBUTIVE IMPACT
MEASURING INCOME INEQUALITY
IMPUTATION
GINI COEFFICIENT
DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACT
INSTITUTION
STANDARD
DATABASE PRODUCERS
ACRONYM
WEBSITE
POLICY RESEARCH
INCOME REDISTRIBUTION
INTERNATIONAL PROJECT
CONCEPTS
DATABASE
MARKET INCOMES
DECLINING INEQUALITY
POVERTY ANALYSIS
MISSING DATA
USER
INEQUALITY
STORAGE
PUBLIC GOODS
NEGATIVE CORRELATION
Ferreira, Francisco H. G.
Lustig, Nora
Teles, Daniel
Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
relation Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7489
description In response to a growing interest in comparing inequality levels and trends across countries, several cross-national inequality databases are now available. These databases differ considerably in purpose, coverage, data sources, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality of documentation. A special issue of the Journal of Economic Inequality, which this paper introduces, is devoted to an assessment of the merits and shortcomings of eight such databases. Five of these sets are microdata-based: CEPALSTAT, Income Distribution Database, Luxembourg Income Study, PovcalNet, and Socio-Economic Database for Latin America and the Caribbean. Two are based on secondary sources: All the Ginis and the World Income Inequality Database; and one is generated entirely through multiple-imputation methods: the Standardized World Income Inequality Database. Although there is much agreement across these databases, there is also a nontrivial share of country/year cells for which substantial discrepancies exist. In some cases, different databases would lead users to radically different conclusions about inequality dynamics in certain countries and periods. The methodological differences that lead to these discrepancies often appear to be driven by a fundamental trade-off between a wish for broader coverage on the one hand, and for greater comparability on the other hand. These differences across databases place considerable responsibility on both producers and users: on the former, to better document and explain their assumptions and procedures, and on the latter, to understand the data they are using, rather than merely taking them as true because available.
format Working Paper
author Ferreira, Francisco H. G.
Lustig, Nora
Teles, Daniel
author_facet Ferreira, Francisco H. G.
Lustig, Nora
Teles, Daniel
author_sort Ferreira, Francisco H. G.
title Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
title_short Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
title_full Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
title_fullStr Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
title_full_unstemmed Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction
title_sort appraising cross-national income inequality databases : an introduction
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2015
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/11/25384034/appraising-cross-national-income-inequality-databases-introduction
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23451
_version_ 1764453877584756736
spelling okr-10986-234512021-04-23T14:04:15Z Appraising Cross-National Income Inequality Databases : An Introduction Ferreira, Francisco H. G. Lustig, Nora Teles, Daniel HOUSEHOLD INCOMES HARMONIZATION CONSUMPTION EXPENDITURES IMPUTATIONS POVERTY LINE INEQUALITY DYNAMICS DISPOSABLE INCOME DATA CENTER INEQUALITY INDICATORS INCOME INCREASING INEQUALITY INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES POVERTY ESTIMATES TAXONOMY MARKET INCOME ABBREVIATIONS INEQUALITY INDEX ECONOMIC REVIEW INFORMATION DEVELOPING COUNTRIES INCOME STUDY MULTIPLE IMPUTATIONS MEASUREMENT ERRORS MULTIPLE IMPUTATION RESEARCHER POLICY DISCUSSIONS REGRESSION ANALYSES COUNTRY REGRESSIONS AVERAGE INEQUALITY DISCLOSURE BINDING INDICES DISPOSABLE INCOME INEQUALITY OPEN ACCESS CLASSIFICATIONS INCOME INEQUALITY DATA ADVANCED COUNTRIES INSTITUTIONS TIME PERIODS EARNINGS INEQUALITY DATA INEQUALITY LEVELS INEQUALITY OBSERVATIONS CROSS-COUNTRY INEQUALITY DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DOCUMENT ENTRIES INEQUALITY MEASURES INCOME INEQUALITY ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS ARTICLES CROSS-COUNTRY REGRESSION CASES DOCUMENTS HOUSEHOLD INCOME SECONDARY SOURCES STANDARDIZATION HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS WEBSITES RESEARCH INCOME LEVELS STANDARDS PRODUCT INEQUALITY TRENDS ARTICLE DATABASES CLASSIFICATION CAPABILITIES GOVERNMENT SERVICES PUBLISHING COUNTRY REPORTS INCOME DATA USERS READING CONSUMPTION RELIABILITY COUNTRY LEVEL INEQUALITY ESTIMATES INSPECTION SOFTWARE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE BEST PRACTICES RESULTS IMPUTATION METHODS INEQUALITY SERIES DESCRIPTION INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS PURCHASING POWER MARKET INCOME INEQUALITY POLITICAL SCIENCE INDEX INEQUALITY DATA INCOME DISTRIBUTION RESEARCHERS INCOME COMPONENTS INCOMES SOCIAL SCIENCE MEMBER COUNTRIES RELATIVE POVERTY CASE INEQUALITY MEASURE REGRESSION ANALYSIS ECONOMIC INEQUALITY RESULT DATA SETS CONCEPT GROSS INCOME DATA SET OBJECT SERVERS REDISTRIBUTIVE IMPACT MEASURING INCOME INEQUALITY IMPUTATION GINI COEFFICIENT DISTRIBUTIONAL IMPACT INSTITUTION STANDARD DATABASE PRODUCERS ACRONYM WEBSITE POLICY RESEARCH INCOME REDISTRIBUTION INTERNATIONAL PROJECT CONCEPTS DATABASE MARKET INCOMES DECLINING INEQUALITY POVERTY ANALYSIS MISSING DATA USER INEQUALITY STORAGE PUBLIC GOODS NEGATIVE CORRELATION In response to a growing interest in comparing inequality levels and trends across countries, several cross-national inequality databases are now available. These databases differ considerably in purpose, coverage, data sources, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality of documentation. A special issue of the Journal of Economic Inequality, which this paper introduces, is devoted to an assessment of the merits and shortcomings of eight such databases. Five of these sets are microdata-based: CEPALSTAT, Income Distribution Database, Luxembourg Income Study, PovcalNet, and Socio-Economic Database for Latin America and the Caribbean. Two are based on secondary sources: All the Ginis and the World Income Inequality Database; and one is generated entirely through multiple-imputation methods: the Standardized World Income Inequality Database. Although there is much agreement across these databases, there is also a nontrivial share of country/year cells for which substantial discrepancies exist. In some cases, different databases would lead users to radically different conclusions about inequality dynamics in certain countries and periods. The methodological differences that lead to these discrepancies often appear to be driven by a fundamental trade-off between a wish for broader coverage on the one hand, and for greater comparability on the other hand. These differences across databases place considerable responsibility on both producers and users: on the former, to better document and explain their assumptions and procedures, and on the latter, to understand the data they are using, rather than merely taking them as true because available. 2015-12-18T20:21:28Z 2015-12-18T20:21:28Z 2015-11 Working Paper http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/11/25384034/appraising-cross-national-income-inequality-databases-introduction http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23451 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 7489 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research