Inequality in China : An Overview

Knight, John

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ABSOLUTE POVERTY;    ABSOLUTE POVERTY LINE;    ACCOUNTABILITY;    AGGREGATION BIAS;    ASSET INEQUALITY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6482
RP-ID  :  WPS6482

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

This paper provides an overview ofresearch on income inequality in China over the period ofeconomic reform. It presents the results of two main sourcesof evidence on income inequality and, assisted by variousdecompositions, explains the reasons income inequality hasincreased rapidly and the Gini coefficient is now almost0.5. This paper evaluates the degree of income inequalityfrom the perspectives of people's subjective well-beingand government concerns. It poses the following question:has income inequality peaked? It also discusses the policyimplications of the analysis. The concluding comments ofthis paper propose a research agenda and suggest possiblelessons from China's experience that may be useful forother developing countries.