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Using a new database of household surveys, this paper examines inequality among all individuals living in developing East Asia regardless of their country of residence. The East Asian Gini index increased from 39.0 in 1988 to 43.3 in 2012. Inequality increased during the initial decade, regardless of the choice of inequality measure. The trend appears to have reversed in the mid-2000s. Regional inequality is now almost entirely explained by within-country differences, while gaps in average income across countries have become unimportant. This reversal has been driven by rising national inequality especially in populous countries, counteracted by catch-up growth in average incomes, particularly in China. Interpersonal differences in income at the regional level have thus become internalized within national boundaries.

Expenditure Distribution --- Global Inequality --- Inequality

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This paper argues that inequality can be both good and bad for growth, depending on what inequality and whose growth. Unequal societies may be holding back one segment of the population while helping another. Similarly, high levels of income inequality may be due to a variety of different factors; some of these may be good while others may be bad for growth. The paper tests this hypothesis by "unpacking" both inequality and growth. Total inequality is decomposed into inequality of opportunity, due to observed factors that are beyond the individual's control, and residual inequality. Growth is measured at different steps of the income ladder to verify whether low, middle, and top income households fare differently in societies with high (low) levels of inequality. In an application to the United States covering 1960 to 2010, the paper finds that inequality of opportunity is particularly bad for growth of the poor. When inequality of opportunity is controlled for, the importance of total income inequality is dramatically reduced. These results are robust to different measures of inequality of opportunity and econometric methods.

Growth --- Inequality --- Inequality Of Opportunity --- United States

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In 2018, Indonesia's coordinated and prudent macroeconomic policy framework underpinned steadyeconomic growth, amid global volatility and several natural disasters. Real GDP growth strengthened to 5.2 percent yoy in 2018 from 5.1 percent in 2017. Growth decelerated only slightly in Q1 2019, to 5.1 percent yoy. Quarterly GDP growth has been broadly stable, remaining within a narrow range of 4.9-5.3 percent yoy for 14 consecutive quarters. The drivers of growth shifted in Q4 2018 and Q1 2019, as investment growth decelerated from multi-year highs, and both private and government consumption picked up. Investment slowed because of inventory destocking and easing fixed investment growth due to delays in new public projects in response to current account concerns, political uncertainty ahead of the general elections, and deteriorating prices of thecountry's key commodity exports and a maturing investment cycle in the mining sector. On the other hand, growth of private and government consumption gained on stronger spending by political parties and civil servant bonuses. Private consumption was also supported by low inflation and abuoyant labor market. Indonesia's oceans can be leveraged to make a larger contribution to the economy, both through higher revenues from tourism and fisheries and by enhancing resilience to natural disasters and climate change. This edition therefore discusses the importance of the maritime economy to Indonesia's economic development and presents the challenges and opportunities the country faces in leveraging the maritime economy for greater prosperity.

Inequality --- Labor Market --- Poverty

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In the 2000s, global inequality fell for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, driven by a decline in the dispersion of average incomes across countries. Between 1988 and 2008, a period of rapidly increasing global integration, income growth was largest for the global top 1 percent and for country-deciles in Asia, often in the upper halves of the national distributions, while the poorer deciles in rich countries lagged behind. Although within-country inequality increased in population-weighted terms, for the average developing country the rise in inequality slowed down in the second half of the 2000s. However, like any analysis based on household surveys, these results could miss important increases in inequality if they are concentrated at the top. These data constraints remain especially serious in developing countries where only very limited information on the top tail exists, especially regarding capital incomes.

Global Inequality --- Globalization --- Income Distribution --- Inequality --- Top Incomes

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This paper constructs and tests the robustness of consistently measured poverty trends in the Islamic Republic of Iran after 2008, using international poverty lines based on U.S. dollars at 2011 purchasing power parity. The constructed estimates reveal three distinct periods of welfare in the Islamic Republic of Iran: increase in poverty and inequality between 2008 and 2009, decline in poverty and inequality between 2009 and 2012, and gradual deterioration of both indicators again after 2012. The results are robust regardless of the choice of welfare aggregate, inclusion or exclusion of different components, and spatial adjustment accounting for regional variation in food and housing prices.

Inequality --- International Poverty --- Poverty Reduction