The report explores new dimensions of inequality that define the 21st century: climate and wealth, gender disparities, unequal access to human capital, the asymmetries of the global financial system, and the territorial divides that are redrawing democratic politics. Together, these themes reveal that inequality today is not confined to income or wealth; it affects every domain of economic and social life.
Key findings:
- The world is extremely unequal and extreme wealth inequality is persistent and increasing. Average education spending per child in Sub Saharan Africa stood at around just €200 (purchasing power parity, PPP), compared with €7,400 in Europe and €9,000 in North America & Oceania: a gap of more than 1 to 40, i.e., approximately three times as much as the gap in per capita GDP.
- The global wealthiest 10% of individuals account for 77% of global emissionsassociated with private capital ownership, underscoring how the climate crisis is inseparable from the concentration of wealth.
- Women persistently receive lower labor income than men everywhere. On average, women earn only 32% of what men earn per working hour, accounting for both paid and unpaid activities; compared to 61% when not accounting for unpaid domestic labor.
- Inequality between regions is immense. Wealthy economies continue to benefit from an “exorbitant privilege”: each year, around 1% of global GDP (approximately three times as much as development aid) flows from poorer to richer nations through net foreign income transfers associated with persistent excess yields and lower interest payments on rich-country liabilities.
- Income and wealth are extremely concentrated at the top in every region. In many advanced democracies, gaps in political affiliations between large metropolitan centers and smaller towns have reached levels unseen in a century. Unequal access to public services, job opportunities, and exposure to trade shocks has fractured social cohesion and weakened the coalitions necessary for redistributive reform.
WIR 2026 calls for renewed global cooperation to tackle these divides at their roots: through progressive taxation, investment in human capabilities, climate accountability tied to private capital ownership, and inclusive political institutions capable of rebuilding trust and solidarity.
Recommended citation:
Chancel, L., Gómez-Carrera, R., Moshrif, R., Piketty, T., et al. (2025). World Inequality Report 2026. World Inequality Lab. Accessed online: wir2026.wid.world