Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990-2016: The World's Most Unequal Region?

Facundo Alvaredo (), Lydia Assouad () and Thomas Piketty
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Lydia Assouad: PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, PJSE - Paris Jourdan Sciences Economiques - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École nationale des ponts et chaussées - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: In this paper we combine household surveys, national accounts, income tax data and wealth data in order to estimate income concentration in the Middle East for the period 1990–2016. According to our benchmark series, the Middle East appears to be the most unequal region in the world, with a top decile income share as large as 64 percent, compared to 37 percent in Western Europe, 47 percent in the US and 55 percent in Brazil (see Alvaredo et al. 2018). This is due both to enormous inequality between countries (particularly between oil‐rich and population‐rich countries) and to large inequality within countries (which we probably under‐estimate, given the limited access to proper fiscal data). We stress the importance of increasing transparency on income and wealth in the Middle East, as well as the need to develop mechanisms of regional redistribution and investment.

Date: 2019
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01883600v1
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Published in Review of Income and Wealth, 2019, 65 (4), pp.685-711. ⟨10.1111/roiw.12385⟩

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Related works:
Journal Article: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990–2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2019)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990–2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2019)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990-2016: The World's Most Unequal Region? (2019)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990–2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2019)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990-2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2017)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990-2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2017)
Working Paper: Measuring lnequality in the Middle East 1990-2016: The World’s Most Unequal Region? (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01883600

DOI: 10.1111/roiw.12385

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