Emmanuel Saez

Emmanuel Saez is a Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in public economics, tax policy, and income inequality research. His work has established him as one of the world's leading experts on economic inequality and optimal taxation.

Saez's research focuses on measuring and understanding the distribution of income and wealth, particularly at the top of the distribution. He is renowned for developing Distributional National Accounts, which integrate tax, survey, and national accounts data to provide comprehensive insights into how economic growth is distributed across different income groups. His work with Thomas Piketty has produced groundbreaking analyses of long-term trends in income and wealth concentration.

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on wealth inequality measurement, tax policy effects on distribution, and historical trends in economic inequality. The articles demonstrate methodological innovation in combining diverse data sources and have significantly influenced academic understanding and policy debates around progressive taxation.

• John Bates Clark Medal (2009)
• Elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Saez has been instrumental in shaping contemporary discussions about economic inequality and tax policy. His research has provided empirical foundations for policy proposals aimed at reducing extreme inequality through progressive taxation and wealth taxation. He continues to lead important research initiatives examining the distributional consequences of fiscal policy and the dynamics of wealth concentration in modern economies.