Ethnic Inequality

Alberto Alesina, Stelios Michalopoulos and Ellias Papaioannou

Scholarly Articles from Harvard University Department of Economics

Abstract: This study explores the consequences and origins of between-ethnicity economic inequality across countries. First, combining satellite images of nighttime luminosity with the historical homelands of ethnolinguistic groups we construct measures of ethnic inequality for a large sample of countries. We also compile proxies of overall spatial inequality and regional inequality across administrative units. Second, we uncover a strong negative association between ethnic inequality and contemporary comparative development; the correlation is also present when we condition on regional inequality, which is itself related to under-development. Third, we investigate the roots of ethnic inequality and establish that differences in geographic endowments across ethnic homelands explain a sizable fraction of the observed variation in economic disparities across groups. Fourth, we show that ethnic-specific inequality in geographic endowments is also linked to under-development.

Date: 2016
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cse, nep-dem, nep-gro, nep-ltv and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (47)

Published in Journal of Political Economy

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Related works:
Journal Article: Ethnic Inequality (2016)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2013)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2012)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2012)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hrv:faseco:27759620

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