Income inequality among counties of Lithuania

Straipsnyje analizuojamas pajamų nelygybės lygis Lietuvos apskrityse. Siekiant ištyrinėti pajamų nelygybę šalies apskrityse buvo suformuluoti šie uždaviniai: išanalizuoti mokslinę literatūrą regioninės pajamų nelygybės tematika, įvertinti pajamų dydį šalies regionuose, išanalizuoti pajamų nelygybę šalies apskrityse. Tikslui ir keliamiems uždaviniams įgyvendinti buvo naudojami pirminiai Pajamų ir gyvenimo sąlygų tyrimo 2016 m. duomenys. Pajamos buvo įvertinamos remiantis vidurkiu, standartiniu nuokrypiu ir mediana. Pajamų nelygybei analizuoti buvo apskaičiuotas Gini koeficientas, vidutinės pajamos kvintiliuose ir deciliuose bei kvintilinis ir decilinis santykiai. Tyrimo rezultatai atskleidė ne tik didžiausių pajamų koncentraciją Vilniaus apskrityje, tačiau ir pajamų nelygybės lygį. Kitose apskrityse pajamų nelygybės apimtys skyrėsi priklausomai nuo naudojamo įvertinimui rodiklio.An income inequality among Lithuanian regions is analyzed in this paper. For the analysis of regional income inequality the following objectives were formulate: firstly, to analyze the previous literature on regional and income inequality topics, secondly, to evaluate the level of income among regions in Lithuania, and finally, to analyze an income inequality among Lithuanian regions. For the implementation of the aim and objectives the microdata data of SILC in Lithuania in 2016 was used. The regions were defined as counties according to the design of the SILC. For the income analysis the following indicators as average income, standard deviation and median of income were used. For the analysis of income inequality the Gini index, quintile and decile distribution of income and ratio were used. The main finding of the research revealed that income and income inequality was the highest in Vilnius County. The county of Vilnius had the highest income inequality and the lowest income of poorest population as well. While the county of Marijampole had the highest income in the bottom and top layers of income compare with other counties of Lithuania and the lowest the average income. The county of Marijampole also distinguished with the highest level of income inequality in the middle of income distribution. The counties of Kaunas and Klaipeda had lower average income than it was in Vilnius, however the income of bottom of income distribution was higher in that counties compare with Vilnius. The lowest income inequality in Lithuania was in Alytus County. The lowest income of the bottom of income distribution and high income inequality was in Telsiai and Taurages counties. While the highest income of the top of income distribution and relatively average income inequality compare with other counties was in Panevezio county