Global Inequality: Beyond the Bottom Billion – A Rapid Review of Income Distribution in 141 Countries
65 Pages Posted: 9 Apr 2011
Date Written: April 6, 2011
Abstract
This working paper: (i) provides an overview of global, regional and national income inequalities based on the latest distribution data from the World Bank, UNU-WIDER and Eurostat; (ii) discusses the negative implications of rising income inequality for development; (iii) calls for placing equity at the center of development in the context of the United Nations development agenda; (iv) describes the likelihood of inequalities being exacerbated during the global economic crisis; (v) advocates for urgent policy changes at national and international levels to ensure a “Recovery for All”; and, (vi) to serve as a general reference source, Annex 2 provides a summary of the most up-to-date income distribution and inequality data for 141 countries.
Keywords: income inequality, income distribution, quintiles, equity, crisis recovery, development policy
JEL Classification: D6, D63, D3, D31, O1, O2
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation