Energy consumption inequality and human development

Abstract

In this paper, the auhtors consider world energy consumption inequality from 1998 to 2007 and analyze the diversification in a regional context. Based on different equity criterion, the inequality as measured by the divergence of Lorenz curve from the diagonal by the Gini coefficient is different. The international inequality of per capita energy consumption is close to the Gini coefficient measured by the UN's human development index (HDI) equity criterion, and shows a decline from 1998 to 2007. In three groups, high human development level economics (HHDE), medium human development level economics (MHDE) and low human development level economics (LHDE), their behaviors are different in the inequality of energy consumption. Further, the results show that the United States' behavior is consistent in other nations in the HHDE countries, China's behavior impacts on the evolution of inequality in the MHDE.