Measuring and understanding regional inequality through the lens of the Indonesian experience

Abstract

This article reviews the book by Akita and Kataoka (Regional inequality and development: Measurement and applications in Indonesia, 2022). The book first provides an overview of various measurement methods of regional inequality. Next, it presents four case studies that deepen our understanding of regional inequality in the context of the development challenges of Indonesia: decentralization, premature deindustrialization, financial crisis, low labor productivity, among others. Overall, this book provides an excellent introduction and application of inequality decomposition methods in the context of regional disparities and structural change.

Carlos Mendez

Associate Professor of Development Economics

My research interests focus on the integration of development economics, spatial data science, and econometrics to understand and inform the process of sustainable development across subnational regions and countries.