Question

If a country had perfect income equality what would the Lorenz curve look like?

Short answer

In a country with perfect income equality, the Lorenz curve would look like a straight diagonal line at a 45-degree angle, called the line of perfect equality. It starts at the origin (0% of the population has 0% of income) and ends at the top right corner (100% of the population has 100% of income), representing an ideal scenario where wealth and income are evenly distributed among all members of the population.

Step-by-step solution

1. Defining Perfect Income Equality

Perfect income equality means that all individuals in a country have the same income. In other words, the income or wealth is evenly distributed among all the people in the population.

2. Understanding the Lorenz Curve

The Lorenz curve is a graphical representation of income or wealth distribution. It plots the cumulative percentage of income or wealth against the cumulative percentage of the population. The curve starts at the origin, meaning that 0% of the population has 0% of income or wealth. The curve ends at the top right corner of the graph as 100% of the population has 100% of income or wealth.

3. Describing the Lorenz Curve in Perfect Income Equality

In a scenario of perfect income equality, every member of the population has the same income or wealth. As a result, the curve will simply be a straight line at a 45-degree angle, called the line of perfect equality. It starts at the origin and goes diagonally through the graph, ending at the top right corner. This line represents the ideal, equal distribution of wealth or income.

4. Interpreting the Lorenz Curve

A straight, 45-degree diagonal line for a Lorenz curve indicates perfect income equality. The actual curve for a country may deviate from this line, showing how the income or wealth in that country is distributed. The greater the distance between the line of perfect equality and the actual Lorenz curve, the more inequality is present in the income distribution of that country. In conclusion, if a country had perfect income equality, the Lorenz curve would look like a straight diagonal line, called the line of perfect equality, starting at the origin and ending at the top right corner of the graph. This represents an ideal scenario, where wealth and income are evenly distributed among all the members of the population.