Mexico experienced a pronounced increase in the degree of inequality and earnings inequality over the 1980s and mid 1990s. Contrary to the trend in the distribution of total income inequality, there has been an improvement in the distribution of earnings inequality since 1996. This paper shows...

Cash transfers for the elderly with little or no link to previous contribution, or work history are employed in many countries to provide income support for the elderly. In the context of the larger debate over pension reform, some argue that these'social pensions'are an effective way to deal...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note discusses the Poverty Reduction Strategy Progress (PRSP) Reports for Serbia and Montenegro. Although the strong economic growth in recent years in Serbia has improved average living standards, the reports note that its impact on poverty reduction remains...

Thepaper studies regional (spatial) inequality in the five most populous countries in the world: China, India, the United States, Indonesia, and Brazil in the period 1980-2000. They are all federations or quasi-federations composed of entities with substantial economic autonomy. Two types of...

The inequality dataset compiled in the 1990s by the World Bank and extended by the United Nations has been both widely used and strongly criticized. The criticisms raise questions about conclusions drawn from secondary inequality datasets in general. The authors develop techniques to deal with...

This Joint Staff Advisory Note reviews the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Progress Report for Niger. The lackluster economic performance in 2004 underscores Niger’s vulnerability to exogenous shocks. The progress report suggests that to firmly put the economy on a path of sustained and...