{"id":136,"date":"2011-07-03T07:16:41","date_gmt":"2011-07-03T11:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/?p=136"},"modified":"2011-07-03T07:16:41","modified_gmt":"2011-07-03T11:16:41","slug":"fairs-fair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/?p=136","title":{"rendered":"Fair’s fair?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Washington Post article on wealth in America recently cited the CIA’s World Factbook<\/a> as ranking the United States as, in the WP’s words, “far more unequal than the European Union and the United Kingdom. The United States is in the company of developing countries \u2014 just behind Cameroon and Ivory Coast and just ahead of Uganda and Jamaica.”<\/p>\n

Is our income inequality as severe as Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Uganda and Jamaica?<\/p>\n

The answer is Yes, according to the “Gini Index.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This index — the GINI INDEX — measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. <\/strong>The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country’s Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country’s income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country’s income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.<\/p>\n

1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Namibia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 70.7
\n2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 South Africa\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 65.0
\n3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lesotho\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63.2
\n4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Botswana\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 63.0
\n5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sierra Leone\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 62.9
\n6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Central African Republic\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 61.3
\n7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Haiti\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 59.2
\n8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Colombia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 58.5
\n9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bolivia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 58.2
\n10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Brazil\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 56.7
\n11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guatemala\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 55.1
\n12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Honduras\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 53.8
\n13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hong Kong\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 53.3
\n14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Paraguay\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 53.2
\n15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 El Salvador\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 52.4
\n16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chile\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 52.4
\n17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Panama\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 51.0
\n18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Papua New Guinea\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.9
\n19\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zambia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.8
\n20\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Niger\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.5
\n21\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Swaziland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.4
\n22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gambia, The\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.2
\n23\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Zimbabwe\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 50.1
\n24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dominican Republic\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 49.9
\n25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Peru\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 49.6
\n26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sri Lanka\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 49.0
\n27\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mexico\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 48.2
\n28\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Costa Rica\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 48.0
\n29\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Singapore\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47.8
\n30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Madagascar\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47.5
\n31\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mozambique\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47.3
\n32\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nepal\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47.2
\n33\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Uruguay\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 47.1
\n34\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ecuador\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 46.9
\n35\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rwanda\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 46.8
\n36\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Philippines\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45.8
\n37\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Uganda\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45.7
\n38\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jamaica\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45.5
\n39\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 45.0<\/strong>
\n40\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cameroon\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 44.6
\n41\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cote d’Ivoire\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 44.6
\n42\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iran\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 44.5
\n43\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Malaysia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 44.1
\n44\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nigeria\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.7
\n45\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guyana\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.2
\n46\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nicaragua\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.1
\n47\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thailand\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.0
\n48\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cambodia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 43.0
\n49\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kenya\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 42.5
\n50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Burundi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 42.4
\n51\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Russia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 42.2
\n52\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 China\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41.5
\n53\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Argentina\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41.4
\n54\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Senegal\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41.3
\n55\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Turkey\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41.0
\n56\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Venezuela\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 41.0
\n57\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Morocco\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40.9
\n58\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Turkmenistan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40.8
\n59\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Georgia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40.8
\n60\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mali\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40.1
\n61\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tunisia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 40.0
\n62\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jordan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.7
\n63\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Burkina Faso\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.5
\n64\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ghana\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.4
\n65\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Israel\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.2
\n66\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mauritania\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.0
\n67\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mauritius\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.0
\n68\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Macedonia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.0
\n69\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Malawi\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 39.0
\n70\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Portugal\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 38.5
\n71\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guinea\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 38.1
\n72\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Timor-Leste\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 38.0
\n73\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yemen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.7
\n74\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Japan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.6
\n75\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Moldova\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.4
\n76\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Armenia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.0
\n77\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vietnam\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.0
\n78\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Indonesia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 37.0
\n79\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 India\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.8
\n80\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Uzbekistan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.8
\n81\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Benin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.5
\n82\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Azerbaijan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.5
\n83\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Zealand\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.2
\n84\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Latvia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.0
\n85\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lithuania\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 36.0
\n86\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Algeria\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 35.3
\n87\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Poland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.9
\n88\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tanzania\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.6
\n89\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Laos\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.6
\n90\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Egypt\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.4
\n91\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bosnia and Herzegovina\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.1
\n92\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United Kingdom\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 34.0
\n93\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Switzerland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33.7
\n94\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bulgaria\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33.5
\n95\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bangladesh\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33.2
\n96\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Greece\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 33.0
\n97\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mongolia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.8
\n98\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 France\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.7
\n99\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tajikistan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.6
\n100\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Taiwan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.6
\n101\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Canada\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.1
\n102\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Italy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.0
\n103\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Spain\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.0
\n104\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Romania\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 32.0
\n105\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Estonia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31.4
\n106\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Korea, South\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31.4
\n107\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ukraine\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 31.0
\n108\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Netherlands\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.9
\n109\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Pakistan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.6
\n110\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Australia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.5
\n111\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 European Union\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.4
\n112\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kyrgyzstan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.3
\n113\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ethiopia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.0
\n114\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Montenegro\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.0
\n115\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kosovo\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 30.0
\n116\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ireland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29.3
\n117\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Croatia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29.0
\n118\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Denmark\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29.0
\n119\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cyprus\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 29.0
\n120\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Slovenia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28.4
\n121\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Belgium\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28.0
\n122\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Iceland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 28.0
\n123\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Belarus\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27.9
\n124\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Germany\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 27.0
\n125\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Finland\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.8
\n126\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Albania\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.7
\n127\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Kazakhstan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.7
\n128\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Slovakia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n129\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Austria\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n130\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Czech Republic\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n131\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Malta\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n132\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luxembourg\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n133\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Serbia\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 26.0
\n134\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Norway\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25.0
\n135\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hungary\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 24.7
\n136\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sweden\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23.0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Washington Post article on wealth in America recently cited the CIA’s World Factbook as ranking the United States as, in the WP’s words, “far more unequal than the European Union and the United Kingdom. The United States is in … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.bmbs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}