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Most people believe that inequality is rising - and indeed…

“Most people believe that inequality is rising - and indeed it has been rising for a while in a number of rich countries. And there is lots of talk and realization of this. It's harder to understand that at the same time, you can actually have global inequality going down. Technically speaking…” quote by Branko Milanovic
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“Most people believe that inequality is rising - and indeed it has been rising for a while in a number of rich countries. And there is lots of talk and realization of this. It's harder to understand that at the same time, you can actually have global inequality going down. Technically speaking, national inequality can increase in every single country and yet global inequality can go down. And why it is going down is because very large, populous, and relatively poor countries like India and China are growing quite fast.”

Branko Milanovic

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

National inequality can rise while global inequality falls as fast‑growing populous nations reduce worldwide gaps.

In simple terms: Rich countries get more unequal, but poor nations catch up, narrowing global disparity.

Key Takeaway

Recognize that global inequality trends differ from national ones.

Themes

economics inequality globalization

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

explanatory informative

When to use this quote

  • policy analysis
  • academic research
  • public debate
  • media reporting
  • international development

Key Concepts

Gini coefficient convergence development economics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do rising national gaps affect social cohesion?
  • What policies can balance domestic and global inequality?
A Different Perspective

National inequality may still cause social unrest despite global gains.

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