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The global inequality boomerang

Author

Listed:
  • Ravi Kanbur
  • Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez
  • Andy Sumner

Abstract

This paper focuses on the past and potential future evolution of income (or consumption) inequality in the world over the period 1981-2040. Inequality in the world has fallen by most common definitions since the late 1980s, and this is largely due to a decline in the between-country component of inequality. We argue that the decline in global inequality over the last decades has spurred a 'sunshine' narrative of falling global inequality that has been rather oversold, in the sense, we argue, it is likely to be temporary .

Suggested Citation

  • Ravi Kanbur & Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez & Andy Sumner, 2022. "The global inequality boomerang," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2022-27, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2022-27
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. World Bank, 2018. "Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 [Rapport 2018 sur la pauvreté et la prospérité partagée]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 30418.
    2. Andy Sumner & Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez & Christopher Hoy, 2022. "Measuring global poverty before and during the pandemic: a political economy of overoptimism," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(1), pages 1-17, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Frederick van der Ploeg & Johannes Emmerling & Ben Groom, 2023. "The Social Cost of Carbon with Intragenerational Inequality and Economic Uncertainty," Discussion Papers 2301, University of Exeter, Department of Economics.
    2. Gradín, Carlos, 2024. "Revisiting the trends in global inequality," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Global inequality; COVID-19; Pandemic;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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