The Effect of Economic Complexity and Institutional Quality on Income Inequality in Developing Countries

Contrary to the public perception that income inequality is due to differences in individuals' abilities and motivations, differences in economic, social, and institutional structures are also important factors in generating income inequality. The complex-structured economies and more developed institutions provide individuals with more opportunities for education and job choice and reduce income inequality. This study investigates the effect of economic complexity and institutional structure on income inequality within the Kuznets curve. The sample used in this study was 43 developing countries during the period of 2015-2002 and dynamic panel econometric method was used to analyze the data. The results indicate that good governance as a proxy for institutional quality, and economic complexity have had a significant negative impact on income inequality in developing countries. These results show that institutional and structural factors, as two other dimensions of development, have also had a significant impact on income inequality in developing countries.