Ekonomická transformace východní Evropy a příjmová nerovnost
Economic Transformation in Eastern Europe and the Distribution of Income

Summary/Abstract: After 1989, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe became of interest to Western experts. Exceptional contributions in this respect include the book Economic Transformation in Eastern Europe and the Distribution of Income, which maps the development of income inequality and poverty based on statistical data for Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Soviet Union. It addresses the following questions: 1) Was the distribution of income under communist regimes more equal than in market economies? 2) Did poverty exist under communism? Contrary to expectations, the authors found that social statistics in Central European communist countries were at a high level and, in many aspects, exceeded the standards of Western statistics, specifically Great Britain, which serves as the comparative basis. The enduring value of this book comprises its statistical appendix, which contains detailed data on the distribution of personal earnings and household income for the countries of interest. In addition to the picture as presented by official statistics, the reverse side of the distribution system in centrally planned economies is also highlighted: the advantages of nomenclature, the scarcity of goods in the market, price manipulation and the grey market.

• Details
• Contents