The ___________________________ is a measure of the degree to which family income within a country is distributed equally.

The Gini Index is a statistical measure that quantifies income inequality within a country. It ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 represents perfect equality (everyone has the same income) and 1 indicates perfect inequality (one person has all the income, while everyone else has none). The Gini Index provides a clear representation of how evenly or unevenly income is spread across the population, making it a crucial tool for understanding socioeconomic disparities.

In contrast, other measures such as the GNI Index (Gross National Income Index) and the GDP Index (Gross Domestic Product Index) focus on the overall economic performance of a country rather than income distribution. The Income Index may not specifically capture the nuances of income disparity, making the Gini Index the most relevant and precise measure for assessing how equitably family income is distributed within a nation.