Measuring the asymmetry of the Lorenz curve

Summary
The Gini concentration ratio as well as any other scalar measure of inequality is clearly inadequate as a description of the Lorenz curve. In this paper, a "dual" description, based on a measure of concentration and one of asymmetry (the Zanardi index) is advocated. Two applications are presented to show that the Gini and Zanardi indices capture the most significant aspects of a Lorenz curve.

keywords
income indequality, concentration indices, Zanardi index, economic development, principal component analysis.

(*) Ricerche Economiche, Vol. XLII,n.3, 1988 pp. 507-319

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