Income distribution and economic development

Since the end of the Second World War, economic development and the distribution of income have become two of the main topics of economic research. There is a logical link between them. Whatever the rate of growth of the national income, it cannot be equated with economic development if the standard of living of most people does not rise. Conversely, without growth to increase resources and facilitate redistribution it will hardly be possible to reduce poverty.

This book deals with the whole range of questions connected with the distribution of income in the course of economic devel opment. Over the past decade much research, particularly under the ILO World Employment Programme, has gone into the relationship between development and inequality of incomes, the factors influencing income distribution and the redistributive action open to the State. The present work is an endeavour to present an analytical survey of the studies carried out in the ILO and elsewhere on this fundamental aspect of development policy.