To combat inequality, states hold the key

Doing nothing more to combat global inequality, continuing to rely solely on convergence between countries and the economic catch-up of developing countries, will not significantly reduce it. This is one of the conclusions of a research study published this Wednesday, May 21, conducted by four economists, notably from the Paris School of Economics, Sciences-Po Paris, and the World Bank. Philipp Bothe, Lucas Chancel , Amory Gethin, and Cornelia Mohren have developed, using historical data from 143 countries since 1980, different scenarios for the evolution of inequality by 2050. Their results put into perspective the widespread discourse since the 1980s on the great virtues of convergence, and encourage us to look at inequality within each country.

For twenty years, global inequalities have not declined. They have not widened either, but have remained frozen.