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Extreme Inequality and Essential Services

Our economy is broken. From Ghana to Spain, India to Brazil, absurd levels of wealth exist alongside desperate poverty. Since 2015, the richest 1% has owned more wealth than the rest of the planet. In countries around the world, a small elite are taking an ever-increasing share of their nation’s income, while hundreds of millions of people are still living without access to clean water and without enough food to feed their families.

Extreme inequality is hurting us all, but it is the poorest people who suffer most – especially women and girls.

No matter how hard they work, far too many suffer the indignity of poverty wages and are denied basic rights. In many countries a decent education or quality healthcare has become a luxury only the rich can afford.

Let's look at the numbers

1%

The world's richest 1% have more than twice as much wealth as 6.9 billion people.

$5.50

Nearly half of the world's population – 3.4 billion people – is living on less than $5.50 a day.

100 M

Every year, 100 million people worldwide are pushed into poverty because they have to pay out-of-pocket for healthcare .

258 M

Today 258 million children – 1 out of every 5 – will not be allowed to school .

50%

Globally, women earn 24 percent less than men and own 50% less wealth.

Extreme inequality: a barrier to poverty reduction

The gap between rich and poor grows wider every year and leads to huge differences in life chances. It exacerbates existing inequalities in other areas, such as those based on gender, geography, ethnicity, race, caste, or religion.