Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 6, No. 2, 2008
Pages 105-113
DOI: 10.36108/ijss/8002.60.0220
Inequality in the Distribution of Household Expenditure in Rural Nigeria: A Decomposition Analysis
Olanrewaju Olaniyan
Department of Economics University of’ Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria
Timothy.T. Awoyenti
Department of Agricultural Economics University of’ Ibadan
Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
This study, examines inequality in expenditure among rural households in Nigeria and then investigates its factors and forces by decomposing the inequality into within group and between group components. Our findings indicate that factors such as age, gender, and education level of the household head are important in explaining, rural household expenditure inequality profile in the country. We however found that most inequality exist within group and not much of differences in group explain appreciable levels of inequality, in Nigeria except for educational attainment of household head and geopolitical zone that the household belongs. This thus calls for thus policies that will increase educational opportunity for all citizens as well us policies lo reduce inter geopolitical zone access lo opportunities.
Keywords: Inequality, decomposition analysis. poverty, household expenditure, Nigeria