Global Income Inequality by the Numbers : In History and Now

The paper presents an overview of calculations of global inequality, recently and over the long-run as well as main controversies and political and philosophical implications of the findings. It focuses in particular on the winners and losers of the most recent episode of globalization, from 1988 to 2008. It suggests that the period might have witnessed the first decline in global inequality between world citizens since the Industrial Revolution. The decline however can be sustained only if countries' mean incomes continue to converge (as they have been doing during the past ten years) and if internal (within-country) inequalities, which are already high, are kept in check. Mean-income convergence would also reduce the huge "citizenship premium" that is enjoyed today by the citizens of rich countries.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Milanovic, Branko
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2012-11
Subjects:	ABSOLUTE POVERTY, AVERAGE INCOME, AVERAGE INCOMES, BOTTOM LINE, CONCEPTS OF INEQUALITY, CONFLICT, CUMULATIVE INCOME, CUMULATIVE POPULATION, DEPENDENT VARIABLE, DIFFERENCES IN INCOME, DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME, DOWNWARD BIAS, ECONOMIC REVIEW, EXPLANATORY VARIABLE, FINANCIAL CRISIS, GDP, GINI COEFFICIENT, GINI COEFFICIENTS, GINI INDEX, GLOBAL INCOME INEQUALITY, GLOBAL INEQUALITY, GROWTH RATES, HIGH GROWTH, HIGH INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, INCOME, INCOME CONVERGENCE, INCOME COUNTRY, INCOME DATA, INCOME DIFFERENCES, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, INCOME DISTRIBUTIONS, INCOME GAINS, INCOME GAPS, INCOME GROUPS, INCOME GROWTH, INCOME INCREASE, INCOME INEQUALITIES, INCOME INEQUALITY, INCOME LEVEL, INCOME LEVELS, INDIVIDUAL INCOMES, INEQUALITY CONCEPT, INEQUALITY ESTIMATES, INEQUALITY INDEX, LORENZ CURVE, LORENZ CURVES, MARKET ECONOMIES, MEAN INCOME, MEAN INCOMES, MEAN LOG DEVIATION, MEASURE OF INEQUALITY, MEASURED INEQUALITY, MEASURING POVERTY, MEDIAN INCOME, MIDDLE CLASS, NATIONAL INCOME, NATIONAL SURVEYS, PENSIONS, PER CAPITA INCOME, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLITICAL COMMUNITY, POOR, POOR COUNTRIES, POOR COUNTRY, POOR PEOPLE, POVERTY LINE, POVERTY THRESHOLD, POWER PARITY, PURCHASING POWER, REAL INCOME, REAL INCOMES, TOTAL INEQUALITY, WAR,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/11/16920534/global-income-inequality-numbers-history-now---an-overview-- http://hdl.handle.net/10986/12117
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