The gap between rich and poor is widening.
A recent study has revealed an alarming reality about global wealth inequality, showing that a very small group of elites holds three times the combined wealth of the world's poorest half.
According to analysis from the World Inequality Lab, a research laboratory specializing in inequality, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Human Development Reports, fewer than 60,000 individuals—a mere 0.001% of the world's population—possess an average net worth of nearly $1.2 billion each. This enormous figure contrasts sharply with the meager wealth of approximately $7,550 per person belonging to the bottom 50% of the population. The research team utilized data from the open-source World Inequality Database and the latest research to provide a comprehensive assessment of inequality across various dimensions, from income and gender to political factors.
The experts who compiled the report noted that although global wealth has reached historical highs, the distribution of resources remains severely imbalanced, with the richest 10% controlling the majority of global wealth and income. To address this, the report recommends that governments consider implementing progressive taxation and fiscal transfer policies as effective tools to narrow the wealth gap.
In the preface to the report, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz asserts that history and international practice demonstrate that the current extreme inequality is not inevitable. He emphasizes that measures such as progressive taxation, strong social investment, establishing fair labor standards, and strengthening institutions, which helped narrow the gap in the past, can be equally effective in the current context.
Besides the issue of wealth distribution, the study also delves into gender inequality, highlighting the significant disadvantages faced by female workers. According to the study, women currently earn only 32% of the hourly wage earned by men when including unpaid housework and family care. Even excluding unpaid labor, women's income still only reaches 62% of men's.
Source: https://vtv.vn/10-nguoi-giau-nhat-thau-tom-phan-lon-cua-cai-toan-cau-100251210155055771.htm
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