Inequality Between Persons

Abstract

Although inequality between persons can refer to a great variety of issues concerned with the disparate treatment and circumstances of individuals, economic discussion has focused on those aspects that relate to the acquisition and expenditure of income. As a consequence, the study of personal inequality has become largely synonymous with the distribution of income among individuals or households. Early contributors to this subject tended to provide an overall perspective on personal income distribution. In recent years, however, more attention has been paid to the particular dimension of inequality under investigation. Consideration has also been given to the precise way in which ‘inequality’ should be interpreted and measured, a trend most evident in the adjustments applied to observed incomes in order that the ‘true’ degree of inequality is revealed.