INCOME-DISTRIBUTION IN A COMPARATIVE PERS PECTIVE

Comparative research in income distribution and poverty is difficult t o carry out due to varying definitions and incompatible data in indivi dual countries. However, the LIS database has greatly increased the pr erequisites for country comparisons, even though some problems still e xist. This article surveys results from some comparative research proj ects carried out using data from this data base. The results shows tha t in most countries there has been an increase in income distribution during the 1980s. Nevertheless, in Finland income inequality decreased during this century and by the end of the 1980s Finland had the most even income distribution in terms of disposable income. Income distrib ution research deals only with the equality or inequality in distribut ion, not with how big a ''cake'' is to be distributed. To give a more proper view of how many in a country can be regarded as poor, the inco me level is as important as the income distribution.