The state of not being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities. At the heart of social justice theories.

How economic variables are distributed—among individuals in a group, among groups in a population, or among countries Two Perspectives: 1. Inequality of Outcomes 2. Inequality of Opportunity

At its highest level for the past half century Av. Income 10% richest 9x poorest 10% in the OECD Countries (38 members)

Unequal access to employment / education The freedom to choose one type of life

Wellbeing: income, education, health, etc. Inequal levels of material wealth or living conditions

Inequality cont. to 21,000 deaths per day World's 10 riches making $1.3b/day 160m into poverty since pandemic 10 billionaires doubled their wealth

Why do we say "unequal" but "inequality"? Unequal (Old English + common word equal) Inequality (Latin-based French word)

Tax policies & fiscal evasion Racial & gender discrimination Technology gaps & changes Climate change War & Conflict Legacies of Colonialism Globalisation

US Pres. Ronald Reagan "Rising abundance will lift all boats" 1979-2019 wages 1% 160%+ Wages bottom 90% shrunk 9%

Top 10% receive 36% Public investment in job creation, education, and health Financed through redistribution in the tax system

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries -Children in the poorest 20% 3x more likely to die before 5 -Up to 30% of income equality due to inequality in households -Global refugees at record high. War in Ukraine pushes this even higher.