Data and Code for: Why Is Europe More Equal Than the United States?

Principal Investigator(s):  View help for Principal Investigator(s) Thomas Blanchet, University of California-Berkeley; Lucas Chancel, Paris School of Economics; Amory Gethin, Paris School of Economics

Version:  View help for Version V1

Name File Type Size Last Modified
at.zip application/zip 14.3 MB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
be.zip application/zip 11.4 MB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
cy.zip application/zip 241.5 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
cz.zip application/zip 9.4 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
dd.zip application/zip 995.2 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
de.zip application/zip 1.9 MB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
dk.zip application/zip 16.5 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
ee.zip application/zip 2.8 MB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
fi.zip application/zip 15.9 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM
fr.zip application/zip 372.9 KB 09/22/2021 02:29:PM

Project Description

Summary:  View help for Summary This article combines all available survey, income tax, and national accounts data to produce pretax and posttax income inequality series in twenty-six European countries from 1980 to 2017. Our estimates are consistent with macroeconomic growth rates and comparable with US distributional national accounts. Inequality grew in nearly all European countries, but much less than in the US. This rise was concentrated at the top end of the income distribution and was most pronounced in Eastern Europe. Contrary to a widespread view, we demonstrate that Europe's lower inequality levels cannot be explained by more equalizing tax-and-transfer systems. After accounting for indirect taxes and in-kind transfers, the US redistributes a greater share of national income to low-income groups than any European country. “Predistribution”, not “redistribution”, explains why Europe is less unequal than the United States.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms:  View help for Subject Terms inequality; redistribution
JEL Classification:  View help for JEL Classification
      E01 Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
      H23 Taxation and Subsidies: Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
      H24 Personal Income and Other Nonbusiness Taxes and Subsidies; includes inheritance and gift taxes
      H51 National Government Expenditures and Health
      H52 National Government Expenditures and Education
      H53 National Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
Geographic Coverage:  View help for Geographic Coverage Europe


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Published Versions

V1 [2021-11-08]

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