April 2003

IZA DP No. 763: Estimation of Generalized Entropy and Atkinson Inequality Indices from Complex Survey Data

revised version published in: Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 2006, 68 (3), 371-383

Applying a method suggested by Woodruff (1971), we derive the sampling variances of Generalized Entropy and Atkinson inequality indices when estimated from complex survey data. It turns out that this method also greatly simplifies the calculations for the i.i.d. case when compared to previous derivations in the literature. Both cases are illustrated with examples from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study and the British Household Panel Survey.