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Riding the Elephants

The Evolution of World Economic Growth and Income Distribution at the End of the 20th Century (1980-2000)

Albert Berry

Paper  461kb pdf

This paper presents estimates of world economic growth for 1970-2000, and changes in the intercountry and interpersonal distribution of world income between 1980 and 2000. These estimates suggest that, while the rate of growth of the world economy slowed in the 1980-2000 period, and average within-country inequality worsened, the distribution of world income among individuals, nevertheless, improved a little. However, that result was wholly due to the exceptional economic performances of China and India. Outside these two countries, the slowdown in world growth was even more dramatic, the distribution of world income unequivocally worsened, and poverty rates remained largely unchanged.

About the Author

Albert Berry
Professor Emeritus
University of Toronto

Publication Information

Type Network Paper
Program Poverty
Posted 09/01/06
Download 461kb pdf
# Pages 36