ABSTRACT
The egalitarian structure of the Nordic countries is internationally renowned and often considered a salient feature of the so-called Nordic welfare model (Kautto et al. 1999). Although the basic characteristics of the Nordic welfare states are subject to ongoing discussion, international comparisons generally address the unique shape of the Nordic income distributions and how the Nordics have organized the welfare state (Bäckman 2009; Brandolini and Smeeding 2007; Esping-Andersen 1990; Fritzell and Ritakallio 2010; Kildal and Kuhnle 2005; Korpi and Palme 1998). The particular mix of low income inequality and effective redistribution programmes has historically been a prominent element in the Nordic welfare states and often considered a salient feature of the social-democratic regime as described by Esping-Andersen (1990) in his famous three-fold categorization of welfare capitalism.
