Towards elucidation of the effects of income polarization on economic growth and social stability in China

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13358
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Economic policy
• Research Institution: Yokohama National University
• Principal Investigator: Akiyama Taro 横浜国立大学, 大学院国際社会科学研究院, 教授 (40167854)
• Research Collaborator: Liu Qingbin 対外経済貿易大学, 保険学院, 副教授 ; Wu Binzhen 清華大学, 経済管理学院, 副教授 ; Hao Shenglong 中国国家統計局, 総合司総合処長
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 所得分配 / 分極化 / イノベーション / 経済成長 / 犯罪 / 中国

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We estimated the polarization indices of income distributions for the period from 2002 to 2009 by using the microdata of Urban Household Survey in China. It was found that the progression of polarization is not so severe for this period. Also, it is shown that income inequality has positive effects on economic growth, but polarization has negative effects. And, although there is a positive correlation between innovation and inequality in the region, the polarization is negatively correlated with innovation. Furthermore, obstacles to firm management due to crime is a negatively correlated with inequality in the region, but positively correlated with polarization.

Free Research Field

経済学