The uk could be the nation which is why we’ve the information that is best on the circulation of income throughout the extremely long haul. These records is visualized in this chart. The top panel programs the share of total earnings visiting the top 5% of earnings earners, in addition to bottom panel shows the Gini coefficients.

The first quotes depend on social tables, and also as with most quotes through the more distant past, there clearly was some concern regarding how accurate these quotes are. Holmes published a ciritique that is detailed probably one of the most famous tables: Gregory King’s Social Table for England in 1688. Holmes (1977) revealed King’s limits as a social analyst and criticized their social table, arguing that different biases “beguiled him (1) into underestimating the sheer number of families in certain regarding the wealthiest, and fiscally most effective classes; and (2) into underestimating (sometimes grossly) earnings amounts at numerous rungs over the poverty line. ” 3

But, there are methods take into consideration these biases, as well as the quotes shown into the graph depend on a modification of King’s initial quotes carried out by Lindert and Williamson.