The Distribution of Income in Ireland (2000) - Combat Poverty Agency

32 The Distribution of Income in Ireland1997. Turning to the distribution of gross income, there is onceagain some decline in share for the bottom 30 per cent from1997 to 1998, as there had been from 1994 to 1997.Table 3.12: Decile Shares for Direct and Gross Incomeamong Households, 1994,1997 and 1998 LII SurreyDecileBottom23456789TopAllGmiTheil19940.00.00.32.86.09.012.115.420.434.0100.00.S650.587Direct19970.00.01.13.86.69.512.015.119.232.8100.00.5360.529Share in Total Income (%)19980.00.01.54.27.09.512.015.219.331.4100.079941.92.73.95.16.88.811.013.717.528.7100.0Inequality Measure0.5200.4950.4220.295Gross19971.72.63.95.37.39.111.113.617.228.3100.00.4170.29119981.62.53.75.27.59.211.313.717.627.7100.00.4180.291Finally, Table 3.13 shows the distribution of income amonghouseholds after adjusting for differences in size and compositionusing the 1/0.66/0.33 equivalence scale. We now see theshare of the bottom 30 per cent of households down by 0.7 percent of total income between 1997 and 1998. This brings thecumulative fall in the share of the bottom 30 per cent up to 1.4per cent of total income over the 1994-98 period. A decliningshare for the top decile from 1994 to 1997 had offset this declinein terms of overall inequality as reflected in the summarymeasures. From 1997 to 1998, however, the share of the topdecile rose and so did the summary inequality measuresThe Distribution of Income in the 1990s 33Table 3.13: Decile Shares in Equivalised DisposableIncome for Irish Households, 1994,1997 and 1998 LIISurveys (1/0.66/0.33 Scale)DecileBottom23456789TopAllGiniTheilShare in Total Equivalised (1/0.66/0.33) DisposableIncome (%)1994 Ul1997LII1998 LII3.94.85.46.17.18.710.512.715.925.0100.00.3260.1843.64.65.26.17.59.010.713.015.924.6100.0Inequality Measure0.3290.1853.44.35.06.27.69.110.612.815.825.2100.00.3380.1953.7 CONCLUSIONSThis chapter has looked at the distribution of income amongIrish households and persons in the 1990s, using data fromhousehold surveys carried out by the ESRI in 1994 and 1997 andsome initial results from 1998.Focusing on the period from 1994 to 1997, summary measuressuggested little change in the overall level of inequality inthe distribution of disposable income among Irish householdsover this period. There was however a shift away from the bottom30 per cent and the top decile to the middle of the distribution.The distribution of income directly from the market was ifanything more equally distributed among households in 1997than 1994, but the equalising effects of social welfare transfersdeclined." !