Income inequality in South Africa: Evidence from individual-level administrative tax data

Chandré Jacobs, Amina Ebrahim, Murray Leibbrandt, Jukka Pirttilä and Marlies Piek

No wp-2024-55, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: We use individual-level tax administrative data to estimate personal income inequality among the tax-compliant population in South Africa over the period 2011-21. Our results indicate that inequality of this population rose slightly over the period, with the Gini coefficient increasing from 0.64 to 0.66. The aggregate inequality metrics mask some notable changes in real incomes driven by relatively stronger real income growth at both the top and bottom ends of the distribution and very sluggish real income growth in the middle deciles.

Keywords: Top incomes; Income inequality; Income mobility; South Africa; Administrative data; Tax data (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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