Inequality

By Wayne Brown

I have been playing with graphs in the World Inequality Database, a project of Thomas Piketty and associates. The graph is interactive. You can click on the link below to play with it.



How much do the top 1% own?

This graph has some interesting features:

  • The Russian kleptocracy, emerging since the late 1990's has created more inequality than we see even in Saudi Arabia, a country owned and operated by the Royal Family. With 50% of its wealth in the hands of the top 1%, Russia is possibly the most unequal country on Earth.
  • China is catching up with the rest of the world, with 30% of its wealth in the hands of the top 1%. This is about the level of most developed countries.
  • The USA is becoming more unequal, but in 1910 it was as unequal as Russia has become lately. 1910 was the era of the "Robber Barons" in the USA.

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