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Understanding the relationship between poverty, inequality and growth: a review of existing evidence

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  • Mcknight, Abigail
Abstract
This paper reviews the theoretical literature and empirical evidence on the relationship between poverty, inequality and economic growth. It finds evidence that economic inequality is good for growth as well as new convincing evidence that inequality is bad for growth. Variation in data quality, methodologies, the range of countries included in different studies makes it difficult to compare the evidence. A recent hypothesis that the relationship between inequality and growth might be non-linear, with very low and very high levels of inequality being harmful to growth but a range in between where the relationship is not clearly defined might provide a means to unify some of the conflicting findings.

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  • Mcknight, Abigail, 2019. "Understanding the relationship between poverty, inequality and growth: a review of existing evidence," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103458, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:103458
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shah Imtiyaz Ahmad & Haq Imtiyaz ul, 2022. "The Impact of Tourism Development and Economic Growth on Poverty Reduction in Kazakhstan," Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Economics and Business, Sciendo, vol. 10(1), pages 77-90, September.
    2. Tania Burchardt & Abigail Davis & Ian Gough & Katharina Hecht & Donald Hirsch & Karen Rowlingson & Kate Summers, 2020. "Living on Different Incomes in London: Can public consensus identify a 'riches line'?," CASE Reports casereport127, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    3. Duque, Magali & Mcknight, Abigail, 2019. "Understanding the relationship between inequalities and poverty: a review of dynamic mechanisms," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103457, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    poverty; inequality; growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence

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