Statistics on Wealth Inequality

A meeting of the Official Statistics Section will take place on 21 May 2012 from 5 to 7pm with tea/coffee served in the basement from 4.30pm.

RSS, Errol Street, EC1Y 8LX

Speakers

Elaine Chamberlain, Statistician, Wealth and Assets Survey, Office for National Statistics
John Hills, Professor of Social Policy at the London School of Economics and Director of the Research Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion

Summary

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducted the first wave of the Wealth and Assets Survey between July 2006 and June 2008.  This survey is unique in both its comprehensive coverage of assets (financial, property, pensions, possessions), debts and savings, attitudes towards debt and savings and the characteristics of households, but also in its coverage of all persons living in private households in Great Britain.

The second wave of the survey, returning to households who responded in wave 1, commenced in July 2008, finishing in June 2010.

Elaine will speak about the results from wave 2 of the survey, the first of which were published in December 2011:  http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/was/wealth-in-great-britain-wave-2/2008-2010--part-1-/pra---was-wave-2--part-1-.pdf. Further data, including the first longitudinal data from the survey, are due to be published in the first half of 2012.

John will range more widely over statistics available on wealth and income inequality and their implications, and will also respond to the ONS presentation.

Attendance

Attendance is free and open to all, but pre-registration is recommended. You can register by email meetings@rss.org.uk or by phone (020) 7638 8998. 

For further information about the meeting contact Philip Turnbull (pturnbullmk@gmail.com).