Table 1.
Candidate inequality measures and their key attributes. Derived from Harper and Lynch [33].
| Inequality measure | Reference group | Absolute or relative inequality | Explicit inequality aversion parameter | Ordered social groups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Difference | Best off | Absolute | No | Yes |
| Relative Difference | Best off | Relative | No | Yes |
| Regression-Based Relative Effect | Best off | Relative | No | Yes |
| Regression-Based Absolute Effect | Best off | Absolute | No | Yes |
| Slope Index of Inequality | Average | Absolute | No | Yes |
| Relative Index of Inequality | Average | Relative | No | Yes |
| Index of Disparity | Best off | Relative | No | No |
| Population Attributable Risk | Best off | Absolute | No | No |
| Population Attributable Risk% | Best off | Relative | No | No |
| Index of Dissimilarity | Average | Absolute | No | No |
| Index of Dissimilarity% | Average | Relative | No | No |
| Relative Concentration Index | Average | Relative | Yes | Yes |
| Absolute Concentration Index | Average | Absolute | Yes | Yes |
| Between-Group Variance | Average | Absolute | No | No |
| Squared Coefficient of Variation | Average | Relative | No | No |
| Atkinson Index | Average | Relative | Yes | No |
| Gini Coefficient | Average/All those better off | Relative | No | No |
| Theil Index | Average | Relative | No | No |
| Mean Log Deviation | Average | Relative | No | No |
| Variance of Logarithms | Average | Relative | No | No |