Abstract
In this paper we explore the statistical properties of the distributions of
consumption expenditures for a large sample of Italian households in the period 1989–
2004. Goodness-of-fit tests show that household aggregate (and age-conditioned)
consumption distributions are not log-normal. Rather, their logs can be invariably characterized
by asymmetric exponential-power densities. Departures from log-normality
are mainly
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