Gini index, inequality comparisons and maximim axiom: a paradox

Louis de Mesnard

Working Papers from HAL

Abstract: Inequality is appreciated only through a relevant measure, traditionally the Gini index, but this one presents a weakness that prevents to consider it as valid: to a same Gini may correspond many distributions. For the most simple case, a concentration curve with two linear segments, a criterion is proposed, based on the maximin: beside curves with same Gini, the more egalitarian is those in which each poor has the higher revenue. However, this does not allow to decide for two curves with different Gini: two indeterminate zones appear. This is extended to curves with three linear segments and two kinks.

Keywords: economics; economic theory; humanities social sciences; sciences humaines et sociales (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01526991v1
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Published in [Research Report] Laboratoire d'analyse et de techniques économiques(LATEC). 1999, 27 p., Figure, ref. bib. : 5 ref

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