Download - Inequality: the enemy between us? Richard Wilkinson Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology
Inequality: the enemy between us?Richard Wilkinson
Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology
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Income per head and life-expectancy: rich & poor countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Life expectancy in rich countries is no longer related to National Income per head
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Local Neighbourhoods(in England & Wales)
Life
exp
ecta
ncy
(yea
rs)
Richest Poorest
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Life expectancy is strongly related to income within rich countries
3.7 3.9 4.3 4.6 4.8 5.2 5.3 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.7 6.1 6.26.7 6.8 6.8 7.2
8.5
9.7
4.0
8.07.0
3.4
Income gapsHow many times richer are the richest fifth than the poorest fifth?
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
Inequality...How much richer are the richest 20% in each country than the poorest 20%?
Health and social problems with social gradients and internationally comparable data
• Life expectancy• Math & Literacy • Infant mortality• Homicides• Imprisonment• Teenage births • Trust• Obesity• Mental illness – incl. drug &
alcohol addiction• Social mobility
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
Inde
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hea
lth a
nd s
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blem
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www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
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
Inde
x of
hea
lth a
nd s
ocia
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blem
s
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Child well-being is better in more equal countries
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Child Wellbeing is not related to National Income per head
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
People in more unequal countries trust each other less
Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level www.equalitytrust.org.uk
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
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Infant Mortality Rates are Higher in More Unequal Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
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30
60
90
120
150
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Income Inequality
Hom
icid
es p
er m
illio
n pe
ople
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
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Imprisonment rates are higher in more unequal countries
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Teenage Birth Rates are Higher in More Unequal Rich Countries
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level (2009) www.equalitytrust.org.uk
www.equalitytrust.org.ukWilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level
Social mobility is lower in more unequal countries
Social Relations
• Child conflict• Homicide• Imprisonment• Social capital• Trust
In summary... bigger income gaps lead to deteriorations in:-
Human Capital
• Child wellbeing• High school drop outs• Math & literacy scores• Social mobility• Teenage births
Health• Drug abuse• Infant mortality• Life expectancy• Mental illness • Obesity
Exceptions:suicide?
Indicator International US 50 StatesCensus GiniUN 20:20 OECD Gini
r p r p r pChild wellbeing -071 <0.01 -0.68 0.01 - -Trust -0.66 <0.01 -0.66 0.03 -0.70 <0.01Life expectancy -0.44 0.04 -0.27 0.24 -0.45 <0.01Infant mortality 0.42 0.04 0.54 0.01 0.43 <0.01Obesity 0.57 <0.01 0.41 0.06 0.47 <0.01Mental illness 0.73 <0.01 0.32 0.30 0.18 0.12Education score -0.45 0.04 -0.46 0.05 -0.47 .01Teen birth rate 0.73 <0.01 0.64 <0.01 0.46 <0.01Homicides 0.47 0.02 0.44 0.04 0.42 <0.01Imprisonment 0.75 <0.01 0.51 0.02 0.48 <0.01Social mobility 0.93 <0.01 0.83 <0.01 - -Index 0.87 <0.01 0.75 <0.01 0.59 <0.01
Correlations: different measures and settings
Zheng H. Social Science & Medicine 2012; 75: 36-45.
Mor
talit
y: O
dds
Rat
io
Lag time - Years
Lag times: marginal impact of a 0.01-unit increase in the Gini on individual mortality risk over time
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
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lth a
nd s
ocia
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blem
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0
5
10
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Singlemothers
Low HighFather's occupational class
Infa
nt d
eath
s pe
r 100
0
England & WalesSweden
Leon, D. A., D. Vagero, et al. (1992). "Social class differences in infant mortality in Sweden: comparison with England and Wales." Brit Med J 305(6855): 687-91.
The benefits of greater equality are not confined to the poor but extend to all social classes
Infant mortality by class: Sweden compared with England & Wales
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Literacy Scores of 16-25 year olds by Parents' Education
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Parents' Education (years)
Lite
racy
sco
re
Sweden
Canada
United States
Source: Willms JD. 1997. Data from OECD Programme for International Student Assessment.
These relationships reflect deep-seated social processes.
What are they?How do they work?
Income differences increase social class differentiation
Bigger income differences:-
• Class becomes more important • The social pyramid is higher
and more hierarchical• The quality of social relations
deteriorates
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?
Even low levels of stress raise death rates
Russ TC, Stamatakis E, Hamer M, Starr JM, Kivimäki M, Batty GD. Association between psychological distress and mortality: pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies. BMJ 2012; 345: e4933.
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Psychosocial risk factors for ill health
Low social status
Weak social connections
Stress in early life (pre- and postnatally)
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Other tasks
Tasks with ‘social evaluative threat’ (uncontrollable)
Cor
tisol
resp
onse
(effe
ct s
ize)
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?
Loughnan S, et al. Economic Inequality is linked to biased self-perception. Psychological Science, 2011; 22: 1254
Self enhancement increases in more unequal societies
Rising narcissism among American college students(meta-analysis of 85 samples 1979-2006)
Nar
ciss
istic
Per
sona
lity
Inve
ntor
y
Twenge JM, Konrath S, Foster JD, Campbell WK, Bushman BJ. Egos inflating over time. J Personality 2008; 76(4): 875-901.
Rising income inequality in Britain 1979-2011In
equa
lity
(Gin
i)
Cribb J, Joyce R, Phillips D. Living standards, poverty and inequality in the UK: 2012. Institute for Fiscal Studies, London 2012
What can be done?Taxes & benefits
• Stop tax avoidance
• End tax havens
• Make taxation progressive again
Income differences before tax
• Stronger Trade Unions
• Increase company democracy - employee ownership etc
• Promote more directors from within companies
Sustainability needs greater equality
Mishel L, Sabadish N. Economic Policy Institute Brief #331. Washington, May 2012
Changing ratio of CEO pay to average pay of production & non-supervisory workers in top 350 US companies
Between 1979-2007 the income of the:-Top 0.1% increased by 362%Top 1% increased by 156%Bottom 90% increased by17%
Pay differentials• Pay ratios in public sector usually between 1:10 and 1:20
• Average for FTSE 100 companies 1:300
• 78% of public think the pay gap is too large, but only 27% support higher welfare benefits. (Brit Soc Atts Survey)
• Greater London Assembly committed (16th June 2010) to pay differences of 1:20, with a long term goal of 1:10.
• Hutton Report suggested public sector 1:20
• Brit Soc Atts Survey: Appropriate pay for unskilled worker: £16,000, for CEO of large company: £100,000. i.e. ratio of less than 1:7
• Fairness Commissions have recommended Living Wage
• Referendum in Switzerland (Nov 2013) limiting pay differentials to 1:12
• WageMark – a new standard (like Fair Trade) to be launched for companies with pay differences less than 1:8
• Mondragon Cooperatives between 1:3 and 1:9. Ave 1:5
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http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk
For more information:… a book
and a website…