Multidimensional perspectives on inequality: conceptual and empirical challenges

This report summarises some of the most relevant theoretical and empirical challenges associated with the measurement and analysis of multidimensional inequalities. Each section delves into a specific topic, presents a state-of-the-art review of the key findings in that particular area, and proposes a number of policy recommendations and avenues for further research. The themes covered in this report range from the multidimensional nature of human wellbeing and quality of life, the multiplicity of life domains in which substantial inequalities can be found, the dynamic nature of those inequalities, the transmission of advantages and disadvantages over time, the availability of new data sources for fine-grained data collection and higher spatial resolution policy-making, the interplay of individual effort and external circumstances when it comes to identifying a just distribution of opportunities in society, as well as the relevance of lifetime approaches for the study of economic inequalities within countries. The content of this work will provide help and guidance to policy-makers willing to understand and tackle inequalities from a broader multidimensional perspective, beyond the narrow limits of economic indicators alone.