Dynamics of unidimensional and multidimensional inequality in Pakistan

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure the unidimensional and multidimensional inequality in the case of Pakistan and compare their results at the provincial as well as regional (urban and rural areas) level. The authors collected data from Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement and Household Integrated Economic Survey for fiscal years of 1998–1999 and 2013–2014. Design/methodology/approach The authors used Gini coefficient for unidimensional inequality and multidimensional indexing approach of Araar (2009) for multidimensional inequality. Findings The findings predicted that unidimensional inequality is relatively high in the urban area due to uneven dissemination of income, but multidimensional inequality is quite high in rural areas because of higher disparities among all dimensions. At the provincial level, Punjab has relatively high-income inequality followed by Sindh, KPK and Baluchistan. Originality/value This study is a pioneering effort to compare two time periods to explore unidimensional and multidimensional inequality in all provinces of Pakistan and their representative rural-urban regions by applying Araar and Duclos’s (2009) approach. Further, this study opens some new insights for policy makers.

Disparities in Welfare: The Spatial and Temporal Dynamics across Districts of Pakistan

“…The result is compatible with the empirical findings of UNDP that the economies with low income showed a decrease in inequality (UNDP, 2011). In the case of Punjab and KP, inequality is very high in the districts of these two provinces, which is consistent with the findings of a study (Khalid, Zahid, Ahad, Shah, & Ashfaq, 2019). The results show that the most deprived districts are mainly located in the southern part of the Punjab province (Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, and Dera Ghazi Khan) compatible with the findings of (Paras, Mohey-ud-din, & Fareed, 2018).…”

A Decade of Uni- Dimensional and Multidimensional Inequality: A Comparison between Irrigated and Barani Zones of Punjab, Pakistan

“…Calculated measures revealed that inequality showed increasing trend in study area over time. While nationally, Khalid et al (2017) analyzed uni-dimensional and multidimensional inequalities at national, sub national and regional level in Pakistan between 1998-99 and 2013-14 by using Arrar (2009) methodology and concluded that uni-dimensional (multidimensional) inequality is purely urban (rural) phenomena for Pakistan however, over the period of time declining trend of inequality had been noticed for both measures. After a comprehensive description, it is observed that no study has precisely found, that explains the issue of uni-dimensional and multidimensional inequality in agro-climatic zones of Punjab and its districts by using HIES data of last 10 years, that's why the research questions of what is the situation of uni-dimensional and multidimensional inequality in irrigated and Barani (agro-climatic) zones of Punjab in last 10 years is yet required to be addressed.…”