성별에 따른 경제적 격차: 소비 및 빈곤격차에 대한 Oaxaca 분해

Explaining Gendered Economic Disparities: An Oaxaca Decomposition of Consumption and Poverty Gaps in Korea

Purpose: This study investigates the determinants of household consumption and poverty in Korea, focusing on gender differences between male- and female-headed households. It also applies Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to quantify the extent to which observed disparities arise from differences in characteristics (endowments) versus differences in structural or contextual effects (coefficients). Research, design, data and methodology: The analysis is based on regression models estimating household consumption and poverty, followed by Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. The decomposition separates gender gaps in consumption and poverty into contributions from endowments (e.g., education, employment, assets) and coefficient effects (returns to those endowments), using grouped explanatory domains such as demographics, education, job occupation, and economic resources. Results: Three findings are highlited: First, household consumption and poverty are significantly shaped by factors like education, employment status, and asset holdings, with similar patterns across genders but nuanced differences in effect size. Second, the decomposition shows that 81.6% of the consumption gap and 92.2% of the poverty gap are explained by endowment differences, highlighting compositional inequalities in demographics, education, and economic resources. Third, large coefficient effects from demographic traits and the constant term suggest underlying structural disadvantages for female-headed households that go beyond measurable characteristics. Implications: The findings call for dual policy strategies: (i) Targeted investments to equalize education, employment opportunities, and asset access for disadvantaged (especially female-headed) households, and (ii) Structural reforms to eliminate institutional and societal biases through anti-discrimination policies and inclusive social protection mechanisms, aiming to address unmeasured, persistent disadvantages faced by women in economic outcomes.