We revisit the iconic Kuznets (1955) paper, which postulated a clear positive relationship between inequality and economic development in the early stages of structural transformation. Using a newly released global dataset on income inequality-the WIID Companion-we set out the stylized facts of...

Seven decades ago, Simon Kuznets put forward the hypothesis that as economies developed, national inequality would first increase and then decrease-an inverted U-shape. He provided preliminary evidence for the hypothesis on the basis of the limited data available at the time, and theorized the...

This paper presents a theory and model of long-run cycles in income inequality. The model explains the historical pattern of income distribution identified by Kuznets (1955) and Piketty (2014). It breaks with conventional marginal product theory which claims functional income distribution is...

According to the Kuznets hypothesis, inequality first tends to increase and then decrease as a country develops. Whether borne out empirically, this inverted-U Kuznets curve, as a stylized 'fact', has shaped the discourse on economic development and income inequality for decades. In this paper...

Understanding the dynamics of income inequality in Somalia is essential for diagnosing the structural barriers that impede inclusive economic growth and development. Recognizing these disparities can lead to more effective policies that foster equitable and sustainable progress. Therefore, this...

In order for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to significantly impact the society, they must achieve both financial sustainability and outreach goals simultaneously. However, when MFIs prioritize financial sustainability at the expense of their outreach goals, it is regarded as mission drift....

Based on a sample of 126 countries over the period of 1970 to 2019 and 5-year nonoverlapping growth regressions, this study has revealed the existence of an inverted U-shaped aging population Kuznets curve. The threshold levels below (above) which aging population potentially promotes (hampers)...

We study a growth model with two types of agents who are heterogeneous in their degree of family altruism. We prove that every equilibrium path converges to a unique steady state, and study the effect of altruism on the properties of steady-state equilibrium. We show that aggregate income is...

The path of income inequality in post-reform China has been widely interpreted as “China’s Kuznets curve.” We show that the Kuznets growth model of structural transformation in a dual economy, alongside population urbanization, has little explanatory power for our new series of inequality...

Based on a sample of 126 countries over the period of 1970 to 2019 and 5-year nonoverlapping growth regressions, this study has revealed the existence of an inverted U-shaped aging population Kuznets curve. The threshold levels below (above) which aging population potentially promotes (hampers)...

This study investigates the effects of exports on income per capita using a panel data set of 150 countries from 1990 to 2012. We have found that exports have differing effects on income distribution depending on different phases of economic development. As exports (measured as the percent of...

This study aims to investigate the conditions for persistent inequality, generate the Kuznets curve, and examine the evolution of study effort in a human capital OLG model, which is a similar framework to that of Glomm and Ravikumar(1998). We revisit the conditions using a more generalized...

This paper investigates the notion of the financial Kuznets curve in an emerging country-Jordan. Both variants of the financial Kuznets curve (growth financial Kuznets curve and inequality financial Kuznets curve) have been examined using different time series methodologies applying to a sample...

Performing a panel data analysis for OECD countries, during the period between 1990 and 2019, this article investigates the relationship between economic growth and income inequalities. The main objective is to understand how the GDP and GNI per capita affect income inequality and how they...

This chapter provides a general review of the studies that analyze the energy-environment Kuznets curve. Such investigation is not only interesting for environmental reasons, but also for purely energy-related reasons. Energy being a scarce resource, its efficient use is of paramount importance...

We document a Kuznets curve for construction productivity in 20th-century America. Homes built per construction worker remained stagnant between 1900 and 1940, boomed after World War II, and then plummeted after 1970. The productivity boom from 1940 to 1970 shows that nothing makes technological...

The path of income inequality in post-reform China has been widely interpreted as "China's Kuznets curve." We show that the Kuznets growth model of structural transformation in a dual economy, alongside population urbanization, has little explanatory power for our new series of inequality...