What Is Wealth Inequality?

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What is wealth inequality?

Wealth inequality refers to the unequal distribution of assets among the population of a country. In advanced economies, the gap between the rich and the poor is at its highest level for 30 years (OECD, xxxx). This state of affairs and the continuing effects of the 2008 financial crisis have drawn greater attention to the potential stunting effect that wealth inequality may have on economic growth.

What is the impact of wealth inequality on economic growth?

This widening inequality has significant implications for economic growth and stability. A study by the OECD found a ‘negative and statistically significant’ correlation between between wealth inequality and economic growth (OECD, xxxx), meaning that the data indicates a growing relationship between greater inequality and lower levels of growth. Furthermore, this study identifies that the lower 40% of the population are affected negatively by inequality in this way, so it is a more widespread issue than commonly understood (OECD, xxxx).
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Firstly, and on the simplest level, economic growth happens when people spend money. Higher levels of economic inequality lead to a higher concentration of wealth at the top of the economic ladder. If we take the US as an example, the top 1% of the population hold x% of the wealth (REF, xxxx). It is clear that this concentrated segment cannot consume and spend at the same rate as the broader population. The distribution of wealth means that the number of people in the bottom 40% easily outweighs the number of those in the top 40% and they do not have the level of wealth that would allow them to freely spend in a way which would encourage growth within an economy (REF,