Relative inequality and poverty in Germany and the United States using alternative equivalence scales

Richard Burkhauser; Timothy M. Smeeding; Joachim Merz

doi:10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x

Relative inequality and poverty in Germany and the United States using alternative equivalence scales

Richard Burkhauser
, Timothy M. Smeeding
, Joachim Merz

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

95 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We use data from the Luxembourg Income Study to show the sensitivity of measures of relative economic well-being of persons in the U.S. and Germany using official equivalence scales and consumption-based country-specific equivalence scales developed for the two countries. Overall inequality and poverty levels are found not to be sensitive to the equivalence scale used. However, the official German equivalence scale yields quite different results from the others with respect to the relative income and poverty levels of vulnerable groups within the population, especially older single people.

Original language	English
Journal	Review of Income and Wealth
Volume	42
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	381-400
Number of pages	20
ISSN	0034-6586
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x
Publication status	Published - 01.12.1996

Bibliographical note

This study is funded by the National Institute on Aging, Program Project 1-PO1-AG0974-01, “The Well-Being of the Elderly in a Comparative Context,” and by the National Science Foundation under grant #SB95-11521. We would like to thank Patricia Ruggles, Mary Daly, Inge O'Connor, and Nicole Ladewig for their comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities

Research areas and keywords

Economics

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Economics and Econometrics

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10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x

Cite this

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title = "Relative inequality and poverty in Germany and the United States using alternative equivalence scales",

abstract = "We use data from the Luxembourg Income Study to show the sensitivity of measures of relative economic well-being of persons in the U.S. and Germany using official equivalence scales and consumption-based country-specific equivalence scales developed for the two countries. Overall inequality and poverty levels are found not to be sensitive to the equivalence scale used. However, the official German equivalence scale yields quite different results from the others with respect to the relative income and poverty levels of vulnerable groups within the population, especially older single people.",

keywords = "Economics",

author = "Richard Burkhauser and Smeeding, \{Timothy M.\} and Joachim Merz",

note = "This study is funded by the National Institute on Aging, Program Project 1-PO1-AG0974-01, “The Well-Being of the Elderly in a Comparative Context,” and by the National Science Foundation under grant \#SB95-11521. We would like to thank Patricia Ruggles, Mary Daly, Inge O'Connor, and Nicole Ladewig for their comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper.",

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doi = "10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x",

language = "English",

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journal = "Review of Income and Wealth",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Relative inequality and poverty in Germany and the United States using alternative equivalence scales

AU - Burkhauser, Richard

AU - Smeeding, Timothy M.

AU - Merz, Joachim

N1 - This study is funded by the National Institute on Aging, Program Project 1-PO1-AG0974-01, “The Well-Being of the Elderly in a Comparative Context,” and by the National Science Foundation under grant #SB95-11521. We would like to thank Patricia Ruggles, Mary Daly, Inge O'Connor, and Nicole Ladewig for their comments and suggestions on earlier versions of this paper.

PY - 1996/12/1

Y1 - 1996/12/1

N2 - We use data from the Luxembourg Income Study to show the sensitivity of measures of relative economic well-being of persons in the U.S. and Germany using official equivalence scales and consumption-based country-specific equivalence scales developed for the two countries. Overall inequality and poverty levels are found not to be sensitive to the equivalence scale used. However, the official German equivalence scale yields quite different results from the others with respect to the relative income and poverty levels of vulnerable groups within the population, especially older single people.

AB - We use data from the Luxembourg Income Study to show the sensitivity of measures of relative economic well-being of persons in the U.S. and Germany using official equivalence scales and consumption-based country-specific equivalence scales developed for the two countries. Overall inequality and poverty levels are found not to be sensitive to the equivalence scale used. However, the official German equivalence scale yields quite different results from the others with respect to the relative income and poverty levels of vulnerable groups within the population, especially older single people.

KW - Economics

U2 - 10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1475-4991.1996.tb00190.x

M3 - Journal articles

SN - 0034-6586

VL - 42

SP - 381

EP - 400

JO - Review of Income and Wealth

JF - Review of Income and Wealth

IS - 4

ER -

Relative inequality and poverty in Germany and the United States using alternative equivalence scales

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Research areas and keywords

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Access to Document

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Cite this