Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

World income inequality databases: an assessment of WIID and SWIID

  • Published:
The Journal of Economic Inequality Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article assesses two secondary data compilations about income inequality – the World Income Inequality Database (WIIDv2c), and the Standardized World Income Inequality Database (SWIIDv4.0) which is based on WIID but with all observations multiply-imputed. WIID and SWIID are convenient and accessible sources for researchers seeking cross-national data with global coverage for relatively long time periods. Against these undoubted benefits must be set costs arising from lack of data comparability and quality and also, in the case of SWIID, questions about its imputation model. WIID and SWIID users need to recognize this benefit-cost trade-off and ensure their substantive conclusions are robust to potential data problems. I provide detailed description of the nature and contents of both sources plus illustrative regression analysis. From a data issues perspective, I recommend WIID over SWIID, though my support for use of WIID is conditional.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acemoglu, D., Naidu, S., Restrepo, P., Robinson, J.A.: Democracy, redistribution and inequality. In: Atkinson, A.B., Bourguignon, F. (eds.) Handbook of Income Distribution, vol 2. Elsevier, North-Holland (2015)

  • Alvaredo, F., Atkinson, A.B., Piketty, T., Saez, E.: The World Top Incomes Database, online database. http://topincomes.g-mond.parisschoolofeconomics.eu/ (2014). Accessed 4 Apr 2014

  • Atkinson, A.B., Brandolini, A.: Promise and pitfalls in the use of “secondary” data-sets: income inequality in OECD countries as a case study. J. Econ. Lit. 34(3), 771–799 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, A.B., Brandolini, A.: On data: a case study of the evolution of income inequality across time and across countries. Camb. J. Econ. 33(3), 381–404 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, A.B., Rainwater, L., Smeeding, T.M.: Income distribution in OECD countries: evidence from the Luxembourg Income Study, OECD Social Policy Studies No. 18. OECD, Paris (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  • Barro, R.J.: Inequality and growth in a panel of countries. J. Econ. Growth 5(1), 5–32 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barro, R.J.: Inequality and growth revisited’, Working Paper Series on Regional Economic Integration No. 11. Manila: Asian Development Bank. http://aric.adb.org/pdf/workingpaper/WP11_%20Inequality_and_Growth_Revisited.pdf (2008). Accessed 30 Mar 2014

  • Berg, A., Ostry, J.D., Zettelmeyer, J.: What makes growth sustained? J. Dev. Econ. 98(2), 149–166 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blinder, A., Esaki, H.: Macroeconomic activity and income distribution in the postwar United States. Rev. Econ. Stat. 60(4), 604–609 (1978)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkhauser, R.V., Feng, S., Jenkins, S.P., Larrimore, J.: Estimating trends in US income inequality using the Current Population Survey: the importance of controlling for censoring. J. Econ. Inequal. 9(3), 393–415 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castelló-Climent, A.: Inequality and growth in advanced economies: an empirical investigation. J. Econ. Inequal. 8(3), 293–321 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, D., Krause, A.: Is the relationship between inequality and growth affected by physical and human accumulation? J. Econ. Inequal. 8(2), 153–172 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chotikapanich, D., Griffiths, W.E., Rao, D.S.P., Valencia, V.: Global income distributions and inequality, 1993 and 2000: incorporating country-level inequality modeled with Beta distributions. Rev. Econ. Stat. 94(1), 52–73 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R.: Convergence in national income distributions. Social Forces 92(2), 413–436 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coulter, F.A., Cowell, F.A., Jenkins, S.P.: Equivalence scale relativities and the extent of inequality and poverty. Econ. J. 102(414), 1067–1082 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deninger, K., Squire, L.: A new dataset measuring income inequality. World Bank Econ. Rev. 10(3), 565–591 (1996). Data available from http://go.worldbank.org/UVPO9KSJJ0. Accessed 30 Mar 2014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eurostat: Statistics, online database. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/statistics/search_database (2014). Accessed 6 Feb 2014

  • Forbes, K.J.: A reassessment of the relationship between inequality and growth. Am. Econ. Rev. 90(4), 869–887 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruen, C., Klasen, S.: Growth, inequality, and welfare: comparisons across space and time. Oxf. Econ. Pap. 60(2), 212–236 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruen, C., Klasen, S.: Has transition improved well-being? Econ. Syst. 36(1), 11–30 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Monetary Fund (IMF): World Economic Outlook, April 2013 edition online database. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2013/01/weodata/index.aspx (2013). Accessed 23 Mar 2014

  • Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS): Inequality and Poverty Spreadsheet (to accompany IFS Report on Living Standards, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2013, file bn19figs.xlsx. http://www.ifs.org.uk/fiscalFacts/povertyStats (2013). Accessed 8 Oct 2013

  • Jäntti, M., Jenkins, S.P.: Examining the impact of macro-economic conditions on income inequality. J. Econ. Inequal. 8(2), 221–240 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Layte, R.: The association between income inequality and mental health: testing status anxiety, social capital, and neo-materialist explanations. Eur. Sociol. Rev. 28(4), 498–511 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LIS Cross-National Data Center (LIS): Key Figures, online database. http://www.lisdatacenter.org/data-access/key-figures/ (2014). Accessed 6 Feb 2014

  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): Divided We Stand. Why Inequality Keeps Rising. OECD, Paris (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ostry, J.D., Berg, A., Tsangarides, C.G.: Redistribution, inequality, and growth, IMF Staff Discussion Note SDN1402. International Monetary Fund, Washington. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2014/sdn1402.pdf (2014). Accessed 17 Mar 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Parker, S.C.: Income inequality and the business cycle: a survey of the evidence and some new results. J. Post-Keynesian Econ. 21(2), 201–225 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raghunathan, T.E., Lepkowski, J.M., Van Hoewyk, J., Solenberger, P.: A multivariate technique for multiply imputing missing values using a sequence of regression models. Surv. Methodol. 27(1), 85–95 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, D.B.: Multiple Imputation for Nonresponse in Surveys. Wiley, New York (1987)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, D.B.: Multiple imputation after 18 + years. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 91(434), 473–489 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sala-i-Martin, X.: The world distribution of income: falling poverty and ... convergence, period. Q.J. Econ. 121(2), 351–397 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shorrocks, A., Wan, G.: Ungrouping income distributions. Synthesising samples for inequality and poverty analysis. Research Paper No. 2008/16. Helsinki: UNU-WIDER. http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/research-papers/2008/en_GB/rp2008-16/ (2008). Accessed 31 Jan 2014

  • Solt, F.: Standardizing the world income inequality database. Soc. Sci. Q. 90(2), 231–242 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solt, F.: Diversionary nationalism: economic inequality and the formation of national pride. J. Polit. 73(3), 821–830 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solt, F.: SWIID. The Standardized World Income Inequality Database, version 4.0 September 2013. University of Iowa, Iowa City. http://myweb.uiowa.edu/fsolt/swiid/swiid.html (2013a). Accessed 31 Jan 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Solt, F.: The Standardized World Income Inequality Database’, Presentation to the Development Policy and Analysis Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York, 18 September 2013, http://myweb.uiowa.edu/fsolt/papers/SWIID%20UN%20Talk.pdf (2013b). Accessed 18 Aug 2014

  • Teulings, C., van Rens, T.: Education, growth, and income inequality. Rev. Econ. Stat. 90(1), 89–104 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNU-WIDER: UNU-WIDER World Income Inequality Database, Version 2.0c, May 2008. UNU-WIDER, Helsinki. http://www.wider.unu.edu/research/Database/en_GB/database/ (2008). Accessed 31 Jan 2014

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie, Y., Zhou, X.: Income inequality in today’s China. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111(19), 6928–6933 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. London School of Economics, London, UK

    Stephen P. Jenkins

  2. University of Essex, Colchester, UK

    Stephen P. Jenkins

  3. IZA, Bonn, Germany

    Stephen P. Jenkins

Authors
  1. Stephen P. Jenkins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stephen P. Jenkins.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Jenkins, S.P. World income inequality databases: an assessment of WIID and SWIID. J Econ Inequal 13, 629–671 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-015-9305-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-015-9305-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation