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A characterization of income distributions in terms of generalized Gini coefficients
Journal
Social choice and welfare
Volume
19
Number
4
Pages / Article-Number
789-794
Keywords
Income distribution, characterization, Gini coefficient, order statistics
Abstract
Most commonly used parametric models for the size distribution of incomes possess only a few finite moments, and hence cannot be characterized by the sequence of their moments. However, all income distributions with a finite mean can be characterized by the sequence of first moments of the order statistics. This is an attractive feature since the generalized Gini coefficients of Kakwani (1980), Donaldson and Weymark (1980, 1983) and Yitzhaki (1983) are simple functions of expectations of sample minima. We present results which streamline these characterizations motivated by Aaberge (2000).