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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. 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.
    2. 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, December.
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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.

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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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