Inequality is rising in Macau, according to the latest findings from the Macau Economic Association. Over the weekend, the body released its 2011 estimate of Macau’s Gini coefficient, an internationally used indicator to measure income distribution in a country or region. According to the head of the association, Joey Lao Chi Ngai, the city’s Gini coefficient reached 0.4 in 2011, up from an estimated 0.35 in 2008. The Macau government’s last estimate for the Gini coefficient refers to 2007/2008, when it stood at 0.38, down from the 0.44 figure recorded in 2002/2003. A Gini coefficient of zero expresses perfect income equality, while a coefficient of one expresses maximal inequality. The Gini coefficient indicates a relatively reasonable income gap if the number is between 0.3 and 0.4. A Gini index between 0.4 and 0.5, however, signals a large income gap. Earlier this year, the central government said the figure for the mainland was 0.47.
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