Global Income Inequality by the Numbers : In History and Now

Milanovic, Branko

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ABSOLUTE POVERTY;    AVERAGE INCOME;    AVERAGE INCOMES;    BOTTOM LINE;    CONCEPTS OF INEQUALITY;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-6259
RP-ID  :  WPS6259

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The paper presents an overview ofcalculations of global inequality, recently and over thelong-run as well as main controversies and political andphilosophical implications of the findings. It focuses inparticular on the winners and losers of the most recentepisode of globalization, from 1988 to 2008. It suggeststhat the period might have witnessed the first decline inglobal inequality between world citizens since theIndustrial Revolution. The decline however can be sustainedonly if countries' mean incomes continue to converge(as they have been doing during the past ten years) and ifinternal (within-country) inequalities, which are alreadyhigh, are kept in check. Mean-income convergence would alsoreduce the huge "citizenship premium" that isenjoyed today by the citizens of rich countries.