2000/08/31 by Adrian Dragulescu, Adrian A. Drǎgulescu, Victor M. Yakovenko · 341 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Distribution (mathematics) #Econometrics #Economic Theory and Institutions #Economic inequality #Economic theories and models #Economics #Exponential distribution #Exponential family #Exponential function #Gini coefficient #Income distribution #Income, Poverty, and Inequality #Inequality #Lorenz curve #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Statistics #cond-mat.stat-mech #q-fin.GN
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/pl00011112
published in The European Physical Journal B 20(4), 585-589 (Springer Science+Business Media) · 4 pages, including 5 figures. Uses Springer Verlag style classes for Eur. Phys. J. B (included). Submitted to the proceedings of APFA2 conference. V.2: minor stylistic improvements
arxiv created 2000/09/24 · openalex publication_date 2001/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Using tax and census data, we demonstrate that the distribution of individual income in the USA is exponential. Our calculated Lorenz curve without fitting parameters and Gini coefficient 1/2 agree well with the data. From the individual income distribution, we derive the distribution function of income for families with two earners and show that it also agrees well with the data. The family data for the period 1947-1994 fit the Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient 3/8=0.375 calculated for two-earners families.