tulonjako

Tulonjako, in economic and social policy contexts, refers to how income is distributed among individuals or households within an economy. It describes who earns what portion of total income, and how evenly resources are shared.

Economists measure tulonjako using pre-tax market income and post-tax income (disposable income). Common indicators include the Gini coefficient (0 = perfect equality, 1 = maximal inequality), the Palma ratio (top 10% vs bottom 40%), and income shares of deciles or quintiles. Analyses often distinguish market income, which reflects wages, profits and rents, from disposable income after taxes and transfers. Equivalised income accounts for household size and composition.

The distribution is shaped by factors such as wage dispersion, return on capital, educational attainment, labor market participation, gender and age, family structure, and policy environment. Globalization, technology, and institutions influence how income is earned and taxed.

Policy approaches to tulonjako aim at redistribution and inclusion. They include progressive taxation; social benefits and pensions; unemployment insurance; in-work child and family subsidies; minimum wage policies; and public services. Debates include measures like universal basic income and targeted transfers; effectiveness depends on design and fiscal capacity.

Many advanced economies have experienced shifts in tulonjako over recent decades, with rising market income inequality offset by tax-and-transfer systems in some countries, while others observe persistent gaps. Nordic countries generally exhibit lower post-tax inequality due to comprehensive welfare states, whereas liberal-market economies show larger gaps.

Gini and related measures have limitations, such as sensitivity to the population studied and little capture of mobility or poverty. Complementary views consider poverty, living standards, and opportunities across generations.