Income distribution
ALTERNATIVE LABELS
Income inequality
NARROWER TERMS
Working paper
Lifecycle earnings risk and insurance: new evidence from Australia
This paper studies the nature of earnings dynamics in Australia, using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey 2001-2020.
Report
Economic and other wellbeing in Australia – October 2022
This paper describes the trends, variation and determinants of wellbeing over the tumultuous period since COVID-19 first reached Australia and up until October 2022, with a particular focus on changes in economic wellbeing.
Report
Profits and the pandemic: as shareholder wealth soared, workers were left behind
This report examines the pay practices and financial outcomes at some of America's best-known companies in sectors spanning retail, delivery, fast food, hotels and entertainment. Together, the 22 companies employ more than 7 million frontline workers.
Report
World inequality report 2022
This report presents the most up-to-date synthesis of international research efforts to track global inequalities. The data and analysis presented here are based on the work of more than 100 researchers over four years, located on all continents, contributing to the World Inequality Database, maintained...
Report
All ears: putting the public at the heart of levelling up
If 'levelling up' is to be seen as legitimate by those it is trying to help, it must meaningfully involve the public in decisions about how money is spent. This report finds that that the public is divided on what levelling up should look like...
Working paper
Intergenerational well-being: baby boomers, generation X, and millennials in Australia
This paper discusses the relative well-being of three generations: baby boomers, Generation X and millennials. Drawing on the OECD well-being framework, the paper examines income and wealth, housing, working conditions, health, education, environmental quality, social connections, safety and inequality.
Report
Attitudes to inequalities
This research identifies three distinct groups within the population that emerged from a survey of responses to questions about structural and individual causes of inequalities, fairness and perceptions of inequalities in the United Kingdom.
Report
Levelling up: five questions about what the government means by the phrase
This report looks at what is known about the UK government’s priorities for 'levelling up.' Based on the Plan for Growth, Boris Johnson’s levelling up speech in July, and the main policies announced so far, it is clear that levelling up is about more than...
Report
Prosperity and justice after the pandemic
The inequalities across the UK is starting to play out in our politics. People do not believe that their voices are being heard and feel disempowered. This report outlines policy options to aid in creating an economy that delivers both prosperity and justice for all...
Working paper
Using census, social security and tax data from the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP) to impute the complete Australian income distribution
The synthetic income measure developed in this project provides a robust measure of income levels and dynamics for a very large sample of Australian adults, and if analysed carefully, can help support our understanding of access to economic resources in Australia and how it varies...
Report
Inquiry into the indicators of, and impact of, regional inequality in Australia: final report
Regional inequality has been increasing in many countries. It is well recognised that living standards across Australia are also not equal. People in regions away from the capital cities generally have lower incomes, poorer health outcomes, less access to services. This inquiry report looks at...
Report
Billionaire wealth vs. community health: protecting essential workers from pandemic profiteers
This report identifies a dozen companies in the United States that have seen their fortunes increase, but continue to provide inadequate protection for their workers. These companies are emblematic of the corporate greed that has grown rampant over the last forty years.
Discussion paper
Regenerative, distributive, resilient Aotearoa
This document lays out BERL’s perspective of the economy and its role in achieving a low-emission, regenerative, distributive and resilient Aotearoa New Zealand. The key premise of this article is that a wider economic model that values people and our planet is valid and necessary...
Report
Australia's community sector and COVID-19
The Australian community sector survey on which this publication is based was conducted during July 2020, at a time during which the sector was grappling with significant health, social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated changes in policy and service delivery.
Report
Who wins and who pays? Rentier power and the Covid crisis
This analysis of recent UK economic support measures suggests that the crisis will exacerbate inequalities between the working poor and the asset-owning wealthy.
Report
Forgotten people and forgotten places: Canada’s economic performance in the age of populism
Donald Trump’s surprising election and the rise of populism in various other Western democracies is a salutary warning to Canadian policy-makers. It cannot be assumed that Canada is immune to these same forces. What are the causes of rising populism? What can policy-makers do to...
Report
The Sustainable Development Goals report 2019
This report provides evidence-based insights to see if our actions today are laying the right foundation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Article
How to make Australia fairer
We’re doing better than many comparable countries, but that’s not enough, says Carmela Chivers.
Report
Exploring the practicalities of a basic income pilot
This report highlights learning from basic income pilots underway or in planning in Finland, Ontario and the Netherlands, compiled from discussions with representatives at the Basic Income Earth Network 2018 World Congress.
Briefing paper
Public good or private wealth?
This report reveals that the wealth of the world’s billionaires increased by 12%, or almost AUD $3.5 billion a day last year. At the same time, the poorest half of humanity saw their wealth shrink by 11%, a burden disproportionately carried by women and girls.
Report
A fair go for all Australians: urgent action required
This report is the result of a roundtable involving 32 experts and politicians, including former Labor Treasurer, Wayne Swan, and Federal Greens Leader, Richard Di Natale.
Report
Downward economic mobility in Australia
This report documents the patterns of declining economic mobility around Australia. It also provides a foundation for further research, exploring factors associated with the trends outlined.
Discussion paper
A wealth of difference: reforming the taxation of wealth
The UK is a wealthy nation, but that wealth is very unevenly distributed. This has negative implications for both economic prosperity and justice. These issues are set to become more important as technological change, stagnating wages and rising house prices increase the income and gains...
Working paper
Who partners up? Educational assortative matching and the distribution of income in New Zealand
Falling in love with one as educated boosts inequality.
Report
Rising inequality? A stocktake of the evidence
The purpose of this research paper is to contribute to an informed discussion in Australia, by bringing together and taking stock of the latest and most complete evidence measuring the prevalence of, and trends in, inequality, economic mobility and disadvantage across Australian society.