--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Inequality? The countries with the…" description: "\"“Inequality? The countries with the biggest disparities in wealth are precisely those with the longest workweeks.”\" — Rutger Bregman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/rutger-bregman-2463_inequality_inequality-the-countries-with-the-bigges_2956211.jpg" --- # Inequality? The countries with the biggest disparities in… ![“Inequality? The countries with the biggest disparities in wealth are precisely those with the longest workweeks.” quote by Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/rutger-bregman-2463_inequality_inequality-the-countries-with-the-bigges_2956211.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/rutger-bregman-2463_inequality_inequality-the-countries-with-the-bigges_2956211.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/rutger-bregman-2463_inequality_inequality-the-countries-with-the-bigges_2956211.jpg) > ““Inequality? The countries with the biggest disparities in wealth are precisely those with the longest workweeks.”” [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Countries with high wealth gaps also tend to have longer workweeks, linking inequality to labor intensity. **In simple terms:** Inequality correlates with long workweeks. Key Takeaway Address work hours to reduce wealth gaps. Themes inequality workweek economics labor policy Mood analytical concerned Type economic political When to use this quote - employment law - labor negotiations - economic reform - social welfare - corporate culture Key Concepts economics social justice public policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies can shorten workweeks? - How does work culture affect inequality? A Different Perspective It may not account for cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biggest Disparities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biggest-disparities-4479651/) [Disparities Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disparities-wealth-1424520/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Inequality Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality-countries-880611/) [Longest Workweeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longest-workweeks-4479650/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [There is no doubt that as an economy grows in a great way like India has, that you have to step back and change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/there-is-no-doubt-that-as-an-economy-grows-in-a-great-way-like-india/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Too often, customary practices and discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, social status, or class are the root sources of pervasive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-musa/too-often-customary-practices-and-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Said Musa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-musa/) > [It has been convincingly demonstrated that countries where there are high rates of poverty, or high rates of economic inequality, are the countries with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-has-been-convincingly-demonstrated-that-countries-where-there-are/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [European officials thought that austerity was part of what they called their 'convergence policies,' of trying to bring countries together. Instead, it actually made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/european-officials-thought-that-austerity-was-part-of-what-they/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [At a time when the European project is facing challenges, it's especially important to show the benefits of economic integration by continuing to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/at-a-time-when-the-european-project-is-facing-challenges-it-s/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [“Knowledge and skill diffusion is the key to overall productivity growth as well as the reduction of inequality both within and between countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/knowledge-and-skill-diffusion-is-the-key-to-overall-productivity/) [Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/) > [We need to invest in healthcare, in education, in the sciences. And in so doing, we will tackle one of the most intractable problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-need-to-invest-in-healthcare-in-education-in-the-sciences-and-in/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [A universal basic income would be the best way to give everyone the opportunity to do more unpaid but incredibly important work, such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/a-universal-basic-income-would-be-the-best-way-to-give-everyone-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I know that there are many excellent arguments for a universal form of basic income. Since everyone would get it, it would remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-know-that-there-are-many-excellent-arguments-for-a-universal-form/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [So distribution should undo excess, and each man have enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/so-distribution-should-undo-excess-and-each-man-have-enough/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/) [B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) ## More by Rutger Bregman > [“If all the developed countries would let in just 3% more immigrants, the world’s poor would have $305 billion more to spend, say scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/if-all-the-developed-countries-would-let-in-just-3-more-immigrants/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“When Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, and inaugurated the biggest crisis since the 1930s, there were no real alternatives to hand. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/when-lehman-brothers-collapsed-on-september-15-2008-and-inaugurated/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [I think one of the most important facts of basic income would be that it's not only a redistribution of income, but also of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-facts-of-basic-income-would-be-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [The great thing about money is that people can use it to buy things they need instead of things self-appointed experts think they need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-great-thing-about-money-is-that-people-can-use-it-to-buy-things/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The idea that the GDP still serves as an accurate gauge of social welfare is one of the most widespread myths of our times.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-idea-that-the-gdp-still-serves-as-an-accurate-gauge-of-social/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Most of Mark Zuckerberg's income is just rent collected off the millions of picture and video posts that we give away daily for free.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/most-of-mark-zuckerberg-s-income-is-just-rent-collected-off-the/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“To calculate the GDP, numerous data points have to be linked together and hundreds of wholly subjective choices made regarding what to count and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/to-calculate-the-gdp-numerous-data-points-have-to-be-linked-together/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Countless studies have shown that people who work less are more satisfied with their lives.37 In a recent poll conducted among working women, German…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/countless-studies-have-shown-that-people-who-work-less-are-more/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Precisely when we should be shouldering the historic task of investing this rich, safe, and healthy existence with meaning, we’ve buried utopia instead. There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/precisely-when-we-should-be-shouldering-the-historic-task-of/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Believing in the good of humanity is a revolutionary act - it means that we don't need all those managers and CEO's, kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/believing-in-the-good-of-humanity-is-a-revolutionary-act-it-means/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [Poor people aren't making dumb decisions because they are dumb, but because they're living in a context in which anyone would make dumb decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/poor-people-aren-t-making-dumb-decisions-because-they-are-dumb-but/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“The bottom line is that wealth can be concentrated somewhere, but that doesn’t also mean that’s where it’s being created. This is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/the-bottom-line-is-that-wealth-can-be-concentrated-somewhere-but-that/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Recently, the International Monetary Fund published a report which revealed that too much inequality even inhibits economic growth.22 Perhaps the most fascinating finding, however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/recently-the-international-monetary-fund-published-a-report-which/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [“Not coincidentally, the countries with the shortest workweeks also have the largest number of volunteers and the most social capital.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/not-coincidentally-the-countries-with-the-shortest-workweeks-also/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [It matters so much that from a very early age we encounter different kinds of different people, because that's what real life should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/it-matters-so-much-that-from-a-very-early-age-we-encounter-different/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) [Explore all 164 Rutger Bregman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) ## More Inequality quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [Income inequality isn't sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-c-pelosi/income-inequality-isn-t-sexy/) [Alexandra C. Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-c-pelosi/) > [Yeah, maybe that's the way to solve the gender inequality that's naturally in relationships: to have a lot more power in the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/yeah-maybe-that-s-the-way-to-solve-the-gender-inequality-that-s/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/in-no-country-does-the-average-income-give-the-right-picture-of-how/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [I made an effort to ensure social safeguards. But our economy has to grow - and Chile, with a population of 17 million, cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/i-made-an-effort-to-ensure-social-safeguards-but-our-economy-has-to/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [I don't know another way to try to deal with income inequality than actually having entrepreneurs and inventors creating the kind of jobs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-don-t-know-another-way-to-try-to-deal-with-income-inequality-than/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [Unequal distribution of income is an excessively uneconomic method of getting the necessary saving done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/unequal-distribution-of-income-is-an-excessively-uneconomic-method-of/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The more I've been able to learn about gay rights and equal pay and gender equity and racial inequality, the more that it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/the-more-i-ve-been-able-to-learn-about-gay-rights-and-equal-pay-and/) [Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/) > [Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/communism-is-inequality-but-not-as-property-is-property-is/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) [Browse all 1,442 Inequality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Inequality? 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