Poverty Falling but Top 1% Race Ahead

Is the gap between rich and poor widening? INET Oxford’s Dr. Max Roser observes it is not that simple. By looking at empirical data across a number of countries a complex pattern emerges. In English speaking countries inequality has followed a U-shaped pattern, rising significantly in recent decades. But in continental European countries and Japan the pattern has been L-shaped. These two contrasting patterns suggest that different economic, institutional, policy and other factors across these countries may be driving the trends. Read the Guardian’s coverage of Max’s work here and visit the Our World in Data website for more information and graphs.