The striking finding is that cross-country differences in the Gini coefficient for disposable incomes are, to a significant extent, driven by the magnitude of redistribution, and can thus diverge substantially from the initial distribution of private sector incomes . The Nordic countries and Belgium reached post-tax/post-transfer Gini coefficients of roughly 0.25 or less. Yet, the underlying distribution of private sector incomes in these countries ranges from high inequality (as in Belgium, with a Gini of 0.481) to a more egalitarian distribution (as in Denmark, with a Gini of 0.418). Somewhat surprisingly, the United States and Belgium share the same Gini coeffi cient for private sector incomes (0.481). Nonetheless, Belgium has one of the most equitable distributions of disposable incomes