Population Contributions to Global Income Inequality: A Fuller Account

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) Working Paper Series 2013-28

28 Pages Posted: 9 Jun 2015

See all articles by P.M. Eloundou-Enyegue

P.M. Eloundou-Enyegue

Cornell University

Michel Tenikué

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER)

Vongai Kandiwa

Cornell University

Date Written: January 23, 2014

Abstract

Population processes are expected to contribute to global income inequality but so far, studies have mostly documented the contributions of changing population size. Such studies typically decompose global inequality trends into population size vs. income effects. We expand decomposition to cover population size, age structure and worker productivity, thus giving a fuller account of demographic influences. This expansion reveals a larger influence of population factors than previously recognized. Further, age structure (not population size) wields the larger influence and its acknowledgment helps consider international differences in dependency ratios. The implications and extensions of these findings are discussed.

Keywords: demographic transitions, population size, age structure, decomposition, global inequality, population growth

Suggested Citation

Eloundou-Enyegue, P.M. and Tenikué, Michel and Kandiwa, Vongai, Population Contributions to Global Income Inequality: A Fuller Account (January 23, 2014). Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) Working Paper Series 2013-28, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2616231 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2616231

P.M. Eloundou-Enyegue (Contact Author)

Cornell University ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

Michel Tenikué

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) ( email )

11, Porte des Sciences
Campus Belval – Maison des Sciences Humaines
Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4366
Luxembourg

Vongai Kandiwa

Cornell University ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

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