Country Quote by Rutger Bregman
“The first thing we should acknowledge is that poverty is hugely expensive. It varies from country to country, but most of the time it's around 3, 4 or 5% of GDP. If you look at what it would cost just to top up the income of all the poor people in a country, it would cost about 1% of GDP.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Poverty: A Very Short Introduction, Rutger Bregman, 2015
Poverty costs societies a large share of GDP; modest redistribution could lift many out of poverty.
In simple terms: Poverty is expensive; small economic changes can help many.
Key Takeaway
Invest in targeted poverty reduction.
Themes
economics
social justice
public policy
Mood
analytical
concerned
Type
economic
policy
When to use this quote
- budget planning
- social welfare programs
- NGO funding
Key Concepts
wealth inequality
government spending
Questions to Reflect On
- How much should a society spend to end poverty?
- What policies are most effective?
A Different Perspective
Political resistance may block redistribution.
![“No solution [to the problem of poverty] is so effective as providing income to the poor. Whether in the form of food, housing, health services, education or money, income is an excellent antidote for deprivation. No truth has spawned so much ingenious evasion.” quote by John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dfb/john-kenneth-galbraith-643_antidote_no-solution-to-the-problem-of-poverty-is_2941126.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
