January 22, 2018
Written by WID.world

New paper on global inequality dynamics (WID.world Working Paper 2017/20)

This new paper by Facundo Alvaredo, Lucas Chancel, Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman reports new estimates of global income inequality presented in the 2018 World Inequality Report.

HIGHLIGHTS: between 1980 and 2016, the global top 1% captured more than twice as much growth as the global bottom 50%. The bottom 60% saw large growth rates over the period, mainly due to the rise of China and India. Increasing inequality in developed economies translated into lower growth for the global middle-class and a substantial rise in income inequality at the top.

 

The paper also provides different scenarios for future income inequality dynamics. If all countries follow Europe’s 1980-2016 inequality path between 2016 and 2050, the average income of bottom 50% earners is expected to rise from €3,100 to €9,100. If they follow the United States’ trajectory, on the other hand, the average income of the global 50% will only be €4,300.

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