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Main Author: Kakamu, Kazuhiko
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.18138
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author Kakamu, Kazuhiko
author_facet Kakamu, Kazuhiko
contents We develop a Bayesian state-space model for analyzing the dynamic evolution of income distributions using grouped income data. The model combines the generalized beta distribution of the second kind (GB2) with latent time-varying parameters to capture changes in the entire income distribution over time. Using Japanese household income data, we examine how demographic factors, particularly population aging and declining household size, affect inequality dynamics. The results show that demographic changes have heterogeneous effects across different parts of the income distribution and contribute substantially to the evolution of inequality. Counterfactual analyses indicate that aging and household size changes affect the lower and upper tails of the distribution differently. Because the proposed framework requires only grouped income data, it can be applied to countries where micro-level income data are unavailable.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_18138
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Demographic Transition and the Dynamics of Income Distribution in Japan: A Bayesian State-Space Approach
Kakamu, Kazuhiko
Econometrics
We develop a Bayesian state-space model for analyzing the dynamic evolution of income distributions using grouped income data. The model combines the generalized beta distribution of the second kind (GB2) with latent time-varying parameters to capture changes in the entire income distribution over time. Using Japanese household income data, we examine how demographic factors, particularly population aging and declining household size, affect inequality dynamics. The results show that demographic changes have heterogeneous effects across different parts of the income distribution and contribute substantially to the evolution of inequality. Counterfactual analyses indicate that aging and household size changes affect the lower and upper tails of the distribution differently. Because the proposed framework requires only grouped income data, it can be applied to countries where micro-level income data are unavailable.
title Demographic Transition and the Dynamics of Income Distribution in Japan: A Bayesian State-Space Approach
topic Econometrics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.18138