Ethnic Inequality

Alberto Alesina, Stelios Michalopoulos and Elias Papaioannou

No 2012-14, Working Papers from Brown University, Department of Economics

Abstract: This study explores the consequences and origins of contemporary differences in well-being across ethnic groups within countries. We construct measures of ethnic inequality combining ethnolinguistic maps on the spatial distribution of groups with satellite images of light density at night. Ethnic inequality is strongly inversely related to per capita income; this pattern holds when we condition on the overall degree of spatial inequality -that is also associated with underdevelopment. We further show that differences in geographic endowments across ethnic homelands explain a sizable portion of contemporary ethnic inequality. This deeplyrooted inequality in geographic attributes across ethnic regions is also negatively related to comparative development. We also show that ethnic inequality goes in tandem with lower levels development also within countries. Using micro-level data from the Afrobarometer surveys we show that individuals from the same ethnic group are worse off when they reside in districts with a high degree of ethnic inequality.

Keywords: Ethnicity; Diversity; Inequality; Development; Geography (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-geo and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Ethnic Inequality (2016)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2016)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2013)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2012)
Working Paper: Ethnic Inequality (2012)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bro:econwp:2012-14

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