To combat inequality, states hold the key

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A study by four economists shows that before tax, the richest 1% hold 19% of global income, compared to 8% for the poorest 50%. This stable situation could improve if countries aligned with their more egalitarian neighbors with the most progressive taxes.

A homeless man sleeps on a mattress in the entrance of a luxury car store in Paris, April 4, 2025. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP)

byAnne-Sophie Lechevallier

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.