Xinyu Wang, Chunlin Wang, Tao Yu, Pengfei Li
arXiv 15 Jan 2026 · Econometrics
arXiv:2601.10501 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text
This paper develops semiparametric methods for estimation and inference of widely used inequality measures when survey data are subject to nonignorable nonresponse, a challenging setting in which response probabilities depend on the unobserved outcomes. Such nonresponse mechanisms are common in household surveys and invalidate standard inference procedures due to selection bias and lack of population representativeness. We address this problem by exploiting callback data from repeated contact attempts and adopting a semiparametric model that leaves the outcome distribution unspecified. We construct semiparametric full-likelihood estimators for the underlying distribution and the associated inequality measures, and establish their large-sample properties for a broad class of functionals, including quantiles, the Theil index, and the Gini index. Explicit asymptotic variance expressions are derived, enabling valid Wald-type inference under nonignorable nonresponse. To facilitate implementation, we propose a stable and computationally convenient expectation-maximization algorithm, whose steps either admit closed-form expressions or reduce to fitting a standard logistic regression model. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed procedures effectively correct nonresponse bias and achieve near-benchmark efficiency. An application to Consumer Expenditure Survey data illustrates the practical gains from incorporating callback information when making inference on inequality measures.
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The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.
| Reference | Intensity | Mentions | Sections | Main text | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alho, Juha M (1990) Adjusting for nonresponse bias using logistic regression | 0.874 | 5 | 2 | 100% |
| 2 | Cowell, Frank Alan (2011) Measuring Inequality | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 3 | Korinek, Anton and Mistiaen, Johan A. and Ravallion, Martin (2006) Survey nonresponse and the distribution of income | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 4 | Korinek, Anton and Mistiaen, Johan A. and Ravallion, Martin (2007) An econometric method of correcting for unit nonresponse bias in surveys | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 5 | Yuan, Meng and Li, Pengfei and Wu, Changbao (2023) Semi-parametric inference on Gini indices of two semi-continuous populations under density ratio models self | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 6 | Abdallah Zalghout (2025) Nonparametric bootstrap confidence sets for the quantile ratio | 0.644 | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| 7 | Qin, Jin and Lawless, Jerry (1994) Empirical Likelihood and General Estimating Equations | 0.511 | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| 8 | Guan, Zhong and Leung, Denis H. Y. and Qin, Jing (2018) Semiparametric maximum likelihood inference for nonignorable nonresponse with callbacks | 0.511 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| 9 | Miao, Wang and Li, Xinyu and Zhang, Ping and Sun, Baoluo (2025) A stableness of resistance model for nonresponse adjustment with callback data | 0.511 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| 10 | Qin, Jing and Follmann, Dean A (2014) Semiparametric maximum likelihood inference by using failed contact attempts to adjust for nonignorable nonresponse | 0.511 | 2 | 1 | 100% |
Showing the top 10 of 44 scored citations.