Racial Inequality and Publication in Economics

Abstract

This paper examines racial disparities in economic publishing using bibliometric data from over 200 economic journals. We find notable differences in authorship between White and non-White authors, with Black, Hispanic, and Asian economists significantly underrepresented in comparison to their share of the overall population. While the publication of non-White economists has increased over the last three decades, the average number of Top 5 journal publications by non-White economists is 25 to 50 percent lower than that of White economists in comparable positions. These disparities highlight the need for measures to enhance knowledge diversity within the economics profession.