Income inequality and the economy of ideas

Authors

  • David Bromell

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26686/pq.v6i3.4344

Keywords:

OECD, Ministry of Social Development, disposable household income, unequal society, Median weekly income, Cognitive price, social stratification

Abstract

Among OECD countries, New Zealand has moved from having relatively low income inequality in the early 1980s to having above average inequality by the mid-2000s (OECD, 2008). Research conducted by Bryan Perry (2009) at the Ministry of Social Development shows that in New Zealand in 2008 the percentile ratio of income inequality (equivalised disposable household income before deducting housing costs) for P90 (top decile) to P10 (bottom decile) was 4.0, compared to 3.3 in 1984. The ratio for P80 (top quintile) to P20 (bottom quintile) for before-housing costs in 2008 was 2.6, compared to 2.3 in 1984. 

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Policy Quarterly volume 6 number 3 2010

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Published

2010-08-01

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 3 (2010): Policy Quarterly

Section

Articles

License

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