The gap between the rich and the poor is widening

Inequality between the rich and the poor is now the largest in OECD countries for 30 years, which has a negative impact on economic growth, the organization said in a report published today.

"The income of the richest 10 percent of the population is 9,5 times higher than the income of the poorest 10 percent of the population" in those countries, according to the report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The organization has 34 members, mainly developed countries such as the USA, European Union countries, Australia and Japan, but also rapidly developing countries such as Mexico, Chile and Turkey. China, Brazil and India are not members.

During the 1980s, the richest earned at most seven times more than the poorest.

In 30 years, the average income of the richest households has increased.

The income of the poorest 10 percent also increased in many countries but at a slower pace and slowed down even more in the crisis years.

In almost 30 years, inequalities have deepened the most in the USA, Finland, Israel, New Zealand, Sweden and to a lesser extent in Germany.

In France, Belgium and the Netherlands, inequalities between rich and poor remained more or less unchanged. Only in Greece and Turkey have inequalities decreased.

The OECD states that increasing inequality affects economic growth.

"Increasing inequality cost Mexico and New Zealand ten percentage points of growth", Great Britain, Finland and Norway nine points, and the USA, Italy and Sweden between six and seven percentage points, the organization assesses.

In contrast, the "more equal situation before the crisis" influenced the increase in GDP per capita in Spain, France and Ireland.

The OECD estimates that growth is affected by the gap that separates the poorest 40 percent of households from the rest of the population.

The gap is further deepened by the fact that these families do not invest enough in education, which limits children's opportunities for learning, social mobility and general development.

The organization believes that the authorities should direct their aid policy towards those 40 percent of the poorest families who are part of the lower middle class.

In addition to the anti-poverty program, the OECD proposes to strengthen their access to public services (education, quality treatment), which should result in greater equality and greater opportunities in the long run.