Inequality and concentration: Are the poor more exposed to concentrated markets?

Stephen Davies and Franco Mariuzzo
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Stephen Davies: Centre for Competition Policy and School of Economics, University of East Anglia
Franco Mariuzzo: Centre for Competition Policy and School of Economics, University of East Anglia

No 2022-01, Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) from Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.

Abstract: This paper contributes to the empirical literature on the distributional impact of competition. Using a novel combination of the national survey of household expenditure and the business structure database for the UK, it establishes two descriptive facts. First, the poor are relatively more dependent than the rich on their product purchases and services supplied by more concentrated markets. Second, it sends a significant negative correlation across products and services between the income elasticity of demand and the concentration of the industries supplying those products. At this stage, we draw no inferences from these results. However, this analysis points to some interesting research questions and policy issues concerning the nature of competition in those industries which supply the necessities in consumption.

Keywords: Concentration; Inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-07-08
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-com
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uea:ueaccp:2022_01

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