Measuring global inequalities

Measuring global inequalities

Understanding Inequalities

  • Global inequalities occur when resources, wealth, and opportunities are distributed unevenly among countries.
  • They can be evaluated through various economic, social, and political metrics, such as GDP, literacy rates, healthcare accessibility and political freedom.

Economic Measures of Inequality

  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be used to measure national wealth. This is calculated by summing up the value of goods and services produced within a country in a year.

  • Gross National Income (GNI) evaluates economic disparities. It is the total income earned by a country’s residents, even when the income is generated overseas.

  • There’s also GNI per capita. It is obtained by dividing GNI by the country’s population, giving a per person figure. This can be a better measure than absolute GNI as it considers the size of the population.

Social Measures of Inequality

  • The Human Development Index (HDI) was designed by the United Nations. This scale takes into account life expectancy, education, and income per capita.

  • The Gender Inequality Index (GII) assesses gender-specific issues including maternal mortality rates and the proportion of parliamentary seats occupied by women.

  • The Literacy Rate, which represents the percentage of people over the age of 15 who can read and write. This measure provides insight into the education system’s efficiency and reach in the country.

Measures of Access to Essential Services

  • Access to Clean Water highlights the percentage of a country’s population who can access clean drinking water.

  • Debate exists over what constitutes an ‘acceptable’ distance to water sources, but within 1km is broadly accepted as the ideal.

  • Access to Electricity provides data on energy availability and technology levels within a country.

  • The Poverty Index is a measure of the percentage of the population living below the poverty line in a country.

All these indicators work together to paint a picture of where a country stands in terms of global inequalities. Take note that these data may vary considerably within countries, reflecting internal disparities.