The richest 10% of people own 75% of the world's wealth, the richest 10% of workers in the world earn more than the other 90%, and the gap in education spending, which in Sub-Saharan Africa is 200 euros per child, while in Europe it is 7400 euros, entrenches the geography of opportunities, according to the results of the World Inequality Report 2026 study, writes UNN.
The average education expenditure per child in Sub-Saharan African countries was about 200 euros (in purchasing power parity, PPP), compared to 7400 euros in Europe and 9000 euros in North America and Oceania: a gap of more than 1 to 40, which is approximately three times the gap in GDP per capita
Such differences, it is noted, "shape life chances for different generations, entrenching a geography of opportunities that exacerbates and perpetuates the global hierarchy of wealth."
The report also states that currently, the richest 10% of the world's working population earn more than the other 90%, while the poorest half of the world's population receives less than 10% of the total global income.
"Wealth is even more concentrated: the richest 10% own three-quarters (75%) of global wealth, while the bottom half owns only 2%," the report's summary states.
According to the report, on average, women earn only 32% of what men earn per working hour, accounting for both paid and unpaid activities; compared to 61% if unpaid domestic work is excluded.
Internationally, WIR 2026 documents how the global financial system exacerbates inequality. "Rich economies continue to benefit from 'exorbitant privilege': each year, about 1% of global GDP (approximately three times more than development aid) flows from poorer to richer countries through net transfers of foreign income, linked to sustained excess returns and lower interest payments on rich countries' liabilities. Reversing this dynamic is central to any credible strategy for global equity," the report notes.
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