About Piketty: evolution of inequality in Spain

Abstract

This paper studies the evolution of the inequality in Spain, both in terms of income and wealth, from the beginning of the eighties. Also attending to the changes in the typical composition of both variables in the different quantiles, during the period analyzed. From the analysis of these magnitudes, it appears that certain tax figures project an uneven tax burden on different segments of the population. Moreover, issues relating to the dissemination of knowledge, investment in education, economic growth and population growth, which Piketty qualifies as major forces of convergence and divergence on the distribution are also analyzed. This allows us to elucidate the impact of the mentioned variables have on inequality and how the implemented institutional reforms in these fields have conditioned the development of the mentioned forces and provide an estimate regarding the form and intensity of their future influence on the evolution of the distribution.