Does Japan have the lowest economic inequality of Asian nations? If so, what are the reasons?

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by lukas1973

I'm very sceptical about all those GDP or GDP (PPP) figures. I can't judge the living standard in Taiwan. At least within the EU you can normally conclude from the outer appearance of the cities to the living standard. That doesn't seem to work in Taiwan. Using google streetview, Taiwan appears to me quite poor. At least the outer appearance of Taiwan doesn't seem to reflect these relative high GDP (PPP) figures.

According to figures from IMF:

GDP per capita (nominal / PPP):

Taiwan: 22,263 / 47,790
Germany: 40,952 / 48,190
Hungary: 12,240 / 27,211

Concluded from these figres (when I have do the maths correctly), then the price level (for domestic made goods and services) in Germany would be about 82% higher than in Taiwan. That's quite a lot. Germany is among the Western world already quite cheap.

According to figures from Numbeo:

Consumer prices in Germany are 3% higher than in Taiwan
Consumer prices including rent in Germany are 14% higher than in Taiwan
Rent prices in Germany are 67% higher than in Taiwan
Restaurant prices in Germany are 114% higher than in Taiwan
Grocery prices in Germany are 34% lower than in Taiwan

The comparision of GDP and GDP (PPP) figures for Taiwan and Hungary sugest that the prive level in both countries is quite comparable. That seems quite questionable to me.

According to figures from Numbeo:

Consumer prices in Taiwan are 49% higher than in Hungary
Consumer prices including rent in Taiwan are 43% higher than in Hungary
Rent prices in Taiwan are 20% higher than in Hungary
Restaurant prices in Taiwan are 10% lower than in Hungary
Grocery prices in Taiwan are 126% higher than in Hungary

In my opinion the PPP adjustment for the GDP of Taiwan seems quite questionable.


I have googled rents for apartments in Taiwan, it seems indeed extremely cheap. I'm not sure about the restaurant prices. At least pizza is definitely more expensive than in Germany. I guess that Chinese food at restaurants are incredible cheap in Taiwan. I've googled grocery prices from A.mart. Those seems throughout outrageous expensive to me. I guess A.mart is a very expensive chain.

Overall I really doubt that the price level in Taiwan is so low as these PPP adjusted GDP figures sugest.

I'm not sure whether my reasonings make sense.

Things like rent, electricity, gas, and restaurants are a lot cheaper in Taiwan than in Germany.

But groceries are not. Also things like cars are much more expensive as well. Idk what an A mart is though.

Average household expenditure is about 2000 euro per month in Taiwan, idk how that compares to Germany.

[OZpharmer]

Originally Posted by Greysholic

Oh course not, but it's still very poor by European standard.

From your personal experience, would you say Hungary is one of your least favorite countries in Europe?

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by OZpharmer

From your personal experience, would you say Hungary is one of your least favorite countries in Europe?

Well I've only been in Budapest for like 4 days with some friends so I can't really say I know anything about it. I think it was a cool city and very very cheap, but it was visibly much poorer than Czech Republic.

[lukas1973]

Originally Posted by Greysholic

Things like rent, electricity, gas, and restaurants are a lot cheaper in Taiwan than in Germany.

But groceries are not. Also things like cars are much more expensive as well. Idk what an A mart is though.

Average household expenditure is about 2000 euro per month in Taiwan, idk how that compares to Germany.

I have tried to find overviews about disposable incomes and household expenditures for both countries. But I'm absolutely not sure whether those statistics are comparable. At least both countries use an extremely similar classification of the different expenditures.

Taiwan / Germany in Euro per month:

Disposable income: 2,437 (100.0%) / 3,276 (100.0%)
Consumption expenditures: 1,918 (78.7%) / 2,390 (73.0%)
Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 282 (11.6%) / 290 (8.9%)
Tobacco and alcoholic beverages: 23 (0.9%) / 42 (1.3%)
Clothing and footwear: 57 (2.3%) / 105 (3.2%)
Housing and utilities: 473 (19.4%) / 826 (25.2%)
Furnishing, household equipment, maintenance: 47 (1.9%) / 160 (4.9%)
Healthcare: 289 (11.8%) / 100 (3.1%)
Transportation: 175 (7.2%) / 314 (9.6%)
Communication: 68 (2.8%) / 61 (1.9%)
Recreation and culture: 108 (4.4%) / 252 (7.7%)
Education: 77 (3.2%) / 16 (0.5%)
Restaurants and hotels: 216 (8.9%) / 135 (4.1%)
Miscellaneous goods and services: 105 (4.3%) / 89 (2.7%)

The average household size in Taiwan is 2.8, in Germany it's 2.0
Disposable income per capita: 870 in Taiwan vs 1,638 in Germany. Seems to make sense in relation to the difference in nominal GDP figures.

My conclusions from these expenditures surveys:
- Taiwanese seem to substitute much more meals at home by eating out.
- Taiwan has very affordable housing costs.
- Taiwan doesn't seem to have a public funded health care system.
- Taiwan need less cars (inhabited areas are much more densely populated) = lower transportation costs.
- A higher portion of education isn't free.

I found those household expenditures surveys very interesting.
I have to admit that I know practically nothing about Taiwan. I don't know what a Taiwanese supermarket looks like, I don't know what houses in Taiwan looks like, how they are furnished. Or how health care or education works.

I have just googled supermarkets in Taiwan and A.mart was the first one in the list. Then I found this flyer:
https://www.fe-amart.com.tw/index.php/edm



Sources for the expenditures figures:

https://www.destatis.de/DE/Publikati...ublicationFile

https://eng.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem...Node=1597&mp=5

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by lukas1973

My conclusions from these expenditures surveys:
- Taiwanese seem to substitute much more meals at home by eating out.
- Taiwan has very affordable housing costs.
- Taiwan doesn't seem to have a public funded health care system.
- Taiwan need less cars (inhabited areas are much more densely populated) = lower transportation costs.
- A higher portion of education isn't free.

I found those household expenditures surveys very interesting.
I have to admit that I know practically nothing about Taiwan. I don't know what a Taiwanese supermarket looks like, I don't know what houses in Taiwan looks like, how they are furnished. Or how health care or education works.

I have just googled supermarkets in Taiwan and A.mart was the first one in the list. Then I found this flyer:
https://www.fe-amart.com.tw/index.php/edm



Sources for the expenditures figures:

https://www.destatis.de/DE/Publikati...ublicationFile

https://eng.stat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem...Node=1597&mp=5

Yeah people eat out more, it's like a leisure activity. There's a single payer healthcare system, and the payment is monthly. 99.X% of the population are insured for that.

I think a large portion of the education expenditure goes into the cram schools, which are very expensive. Universities aren't free but they aren't expensive either.

[OZpharmer]

Originally Posted by Greysholic

Well I've only been in Budapest for like 4 days with some friends so I can't really say I know anything about it. I think it was a cool city and very very cheap, but it was visibly much poorer than Czech Republic.

Can you be more specific? Were there more homeless people/gypsies and run-down buildings in Budapest? And more littering?

[Vmodeb]

Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have many private universities not funded by the government.

Eating out is cheap and common in many cities of East Asia and Southeast Asia, including in winter in Northern China and South Korea.

[Greysholic]

Originally Posted by OZpharmer

Can you be more specific? Were there more homeless people/gypsies and run-down buildings in Budapest? And more littering?

I didn't see many homeless people or gypsies but the buildings were pretty run down indeed. Also the way people dressed etc. also made it seem poorer.

[Vmodeb]

Maybe accurate for an inland country in Eastern Europe.

Originally Posted by Greysholic

I didn't see many homeless people or gypsies but the buildings were pretty run down indeed. Also the way people dressed etc. also made it seem poorer.