IS THERE CAUSALITY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INCOME INEQUALITY?: PANEL DATA EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

Abstract

Our study aims to determine the causality relationship between economic growth and income inequality. Using panel data set of 26 provinces from Indonesia for a period of 2005 to 2015, Pedroni's co-integration test, Panel Vector Error Correction Model, and Granger Causality Test were employed to analyze the relationship between the variables. Accordingly, the first main finding of the research is that there is a negative and significant relationship between the economic growth and income inequality in the long-run. Secondly, in the short run, the economic growth is positively and insignificantly related to income inequality. In addition, there is a unidirectional causality running from income inequality to economic growth.