Cross-regional results on income inequality in Italy:issues and evidence from survey data

In this paper we analyze the differences in household income inequality among Italian regions. Using data from the 2008 Bank of Italy’s Survey on Household Income and Wealth, a remarkable gap in inequality among different geographic areas of the country has been observed. Besides, a thorough analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of obtaining parametric and non parametric confidence intervals for Gini’s and Zenga’s inequality measures has been provided. The performance of the inferential procedures has been assessed and their effectiveness in developing a crossregional study is shown.