Book Chapter
Inequality, Growth and Poverty

An Overview of Changes over the Last Two Decades

Starts by setting the research presented in the book in historical context, and discusses its rationale and purpose. Describes the research methodology adopted and the objectives of the study, which are two: to document and analyse the recent changes in within‐country income inequality against the background of changes occurring in this area in the two preceding decades; and to identify the causes of the changes in income inequality recorded during the period under observation. Next, the main findings of the study are summarized, presented as six main conclusions: a fall in inequality during the golden age (the first 30 years after the Second World War) is followed by a rise over the last two decades (the 1980s and 1990s); sources of inequality change; impact of the observed inequality changes on poverty and growth; the contribution of structural factors to the recent surge in inequality; recent factors influencing the distribution of income–skilled‐biased technical change; and recent factors influencing the distribution of income—policies towards stabilization, liberalization, and globalization. The last section of the chapter discusses questions either unanswered or only partially answered in the book.