quintile

Second

quintile

Third

quintile

Fourth

quintile

Fifth

quintile

4.2

10.2

16.8

24.7

44.1

4.2

14.4

31.2

55.9

100.0

3.0

8.1

14.0

22.6

52.2

3.0

11.1

25.1

47.7

100.0

TABLE 15.6 Calculating the Lorenz Curve

In a Lorenz curve diagram, a more unequal distribution of income will loop farther down and away from the

45-degree line, while a more equal distribution of income will move the line closer to the 45-degree line. Figure

15.8 illustrates the greater inequality of the U.S. income distribution between 1980 and 2020 because the

Lorenz curve for 2020 is farther from the 45-degree line than the Lorenz curve for 1980. The Lorenz curve is a

useful way of presenting the quintile data that provides an image of all the quintile data at once. The next Clear

It Up feature shows how income inequality differs in various countries compared to the United States.

CLEAR IT UP
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