Inequality perception and preferences globally and locally – Correlational evidence from a large-scale cross-country survey

Journal article

Attila Gáspár, Carmen Cervone, Federica Durante, Anne Maass, Caterina Suitner, Roberta Rosa Valtorta, Michela Vezzoli
The Journal of Economic Inequality, vol. 23, 2025, pp. 303-326

DOI: 10.1007/s10888-024-09647-4

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APA Click to copy
Gáspár, A., Cervone, C., Durante, F., Maass, A., Suitner, C., Valtorta, R. R., & Vezzoli, M. (2025). Inequality perception and preferences globally and locally – Correlational evidence from a large-scale cross-country survey. The Journal of Economic Inequality, 23, 303–326. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10888-024-09647-4

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
Gáspár, Attila, Carmen Cervone, Federica Durante, Anne Maass, Caterina Suitner, Roberta Rosa Valtorta, and Michela Vezzoli. “Inequality Perception and Preferences Globally and Locally – Correlational Evidence from a Large-Scale Cross-Country Survey.” The Journal of Economic Inequality 23 (2025): 303–326.

MLA Click to copy
Gáspár, Attila, et al. “Inequality Perception and Preferences Globally and Locally – Correlational Evidence from a Large-Scale Cross-Country Survey.” The Journal of Economic Inequality, vol. 23, 2025, pp. 303–26, doi:10.1007/s10888-024-09647-4.

BibTeX Click to copy

@article{attila2025a,
  title = {Inequality perception and preferences globally and locally – Correlational evidence from a large-scale cross-country survey},
  year = {2025},
  journal = {The Journal of Economic Inequality},
  pages = {303-326},
  volume = {23},
  doi = {10.1007/s10888-024-09647-4},
  author = {Gáspár, Attila and Cervone, Carmen and Durante, Federica and Maass, Anne and Suitner, Caterina and Valtorta, Roberta Rosa and Vezzoli, Michela}
}

Abstract

Using a large, representative survey involving 31 countries, we establish stylized facts about the attitudes toward cross-country economic inequality and their correlates. This question has been surprisingly understudied for a topic so important to our globalized century. We present a simple and intuitive theoretical framework for thinking about cross-country inequalities. Then, we show that people's perceived and desired levels of domestic inequality and their assessment of their relative socio-economic status closely correlate with how they think about cross-country economic differences. The objective socio-economic status of the individual matters less. Though the impact of country-level variables is less pronounced than individual characteristics, concern about cross-country economic inequality is stronger in more affluent countries and countries with lower income inequality. Our findings illustrate that attitudes toward international economic inequality are intrinsically linked to within-country characteristics, especially to attitudes toward domestic economic inequality.