Ethnic Inequality

This study explores the consequences and origins of between-ethnicity economic inequality across countries. First, combining satellite images of nighttime luminosity with the historical homelands of ethnolinguistic groups we construct measures of ethnic inequality for a large sample of countries. We...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of political economy Vol. 124; no. 2; pp. 428 - 488
Main Authors: Alesina, Alberto, Michalopoulos, Stelios, Papaioannou, Elias
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.04.2016
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ISSN:0022-3808
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Summary:This study explores the consequences and origins of between-ethnicity economic inequality across countries. First, combining satellite images of nighttime luminosity with the historical homelands of ethnolinguistic groups we construct measures of ethnic inequality for a large sample of countries. We also compile proxies of overall spatial inequality and regional inequality across administrative units. Second, we uncover a strong negative association between ethnic inequality and contemporary comparative development; the correlation is also present when we condition on regional inequality, which is itself related to under-development. Third, we investigate the roots of ethnic inequality and establish that differences in geographic endowments across ethnic homelands explain a sizable fraction of the observed variation in economic disparities across groups. Fourth, we show that ethnic-specific inequality in geographic endowments is also linked to under-development.
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ISSN:0022-3808
DOI:10.1086/685300