Richard Wilkinson

Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk

People in more unequal countries trust each other less


People in more unequal states of the USA trust each other less

www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level

Mental illness is more common in more unequal societies

5

Infant Mortality Rates are Higher in More Unequal Countries

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk

0

30

60

90

120

150

180

Income Inequality

Ho

mic

ide

s p

er

mill

ion

pe

op

le

Low High

Daly M, Wilson M, Vasdev S. Income inequality and homicide rates in Canada and the United States. Can J Crim 2001; 43: 219-36.

Homicide rates are higher in more unequal

US states and Canadian provinces USA states

Canadian provinces


Imprisonment rates are higher in more unequal countries

8

Teenage Birth Rates are Higher in More Unequal Rich Countries



Social mobility is lower in more unequal countries

Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level

Index of: • Life expectancy• Math & Literacy

• Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness

– incl. drug & alcohol addiction

• Social mobility

www.equalitytrust.org.uk

Health and social problems are worse in more unequal countries

Ind

ex o

f h

ealt

h a

nd

so

cial

pro

ble

ms


Neither health nor social problems are related to national income per head

Index of: • Life expectancy• Math & Literacy

• Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness

– incl. drug & alcohol addiction

• Social mobility

Ind

ex o

f h

ealt

h a

nd

so

cial

pro

ble

ms


Child well-being is better in more equal countries


The UNICEF Index of Child Wellbeing is not related to National Income per head

Educational Scores are Higher in More Equal Rich Countries


Children Experience More Conflict in More Unequal Societies

Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009)

11, 13 & 15 yr olds fighting, bullying, and finding peers not kind & helpful

www.equalitytrust.org.uk

More Children Drop Out of High School in More Unequal US States


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Australia

Austria

Belgium Canada

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Japan

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

UK

USA

Worse

Better

UN

ICE

F in

dex

of c

hild

wel

l-bei

ng

0 10 20 30Lone parents as % of all households with dependent children

Single parents and child wellbeing

20

Literacy Scores of 16-25 year olds by Parents' Education

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Parents' Education (years)

Lit

era

cy

sc

ore

Sweden

Canada

United States

Source: Willms JD. 1997. Data from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment.

More inequality

• More superiority and inferiority• More status competition and consumerism

• More status insecurity

• More worry about how we are seen and judged

• More “social evaluation anxiety”(threats to self-esteem & social

status, fear of negative judgements

Valued or Devalued?

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Stereotype Threat

The effect of caste identity on children's performance

Caste Unannounced

Caste Announced

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

High Caste

Low Caste

Num

ber

of m

azes

sol

ved

Source: Hoff K, Pandey P, World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3351, June 2004

Loughnan S, et al. Economic Inequality is linked to biased self-perception. Psychological Science, 2011; 22: 1254

In more unequal countries people abandon modestyand emphasise their achievments

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

Other tasks

Tasks with ‘social evaluative threat’ (uncontrollable)

Co

rtis

ol

resp

on

se (e

ffec

t si

ze)

Dickerson SS, Kemeny ME. Acute stressors and cortisol responses. Psychological Bulletin 2004; 130(3): 355-91.

What kind of stressful tasks raise stress hormones most?

Well-being and long-term illness related to feeling shamed

Data from Swedish Liv & Halsa survey 2004. Starrin B, Wettergren A. Shame and humiliation in narrative social life. (forthcoming).

Number of ways people felt shamed in last 3 months

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The effects of inequality - a two stage process

1. adult experience of inequality

2. passed on to children – epigenetics?

Trends in income inequality 1979-2005/6 (Gini coefficient, Great Britain.)

Brewer M, Goodman A, Muriel A, Sibieta L. Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2007.

Institute of Fiscal Studies, London.

3.7 3.94.3 4.6 4.8

5.2 5.3 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.76.1 6.2

6.7 6.8 6.87.2

8.5

9.7

4.0

8.0

7.0

3.4

Income gapsHow many times richer are the richest fifth than the poorest fifth?


Inequality...How much richer are the richest 20% in each country than the poorest 20%?

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http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk

For more information:

… a book

and a website…

What can be done?

Taxes & benefits

• Stop tax avoidance

• End tax havens

• Make taxation progressive again

Income differences before tax

• Increase company democracy - employee ownership etc

• Promote more directors from within companies Sustainability needs

greater equality

Richard Wilkinson

Education

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