An Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Regional Inequality in China

The aim of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of regional inequality in China under the broad context of the COVID-19 pandemic and also the post-pandemic time period. To diversify the sample, nine years of raw data (2013-2021) are included in this paper. Using the annual data from this time period, a 5-year calculation of the Gini coefficient from 2017 to 2021, will be calculated. To calculate, the Cumulative Change Model, the Lorenz Curve Framework, and the Cutting Method are applied. The raw data is first applied in the cumulative change equation; by graphing the results, the Lorenz Curve can be framed, which then can be used to calculate the Gini coefficient. The conclusion is that the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation of regional inequality, as shown by an increase in the Gini coefficient.