Global Economic Integration and Global Inequality

Gaps between the poorest and the richest people and countries have continued to widen…This continues the trend of two centuries. Some have predicted convergence, but the past decade has shown increasing concentration of income among people, corporations, and countries. – UN Human Development Report 1999 …globalization has dramatically increased inequality between and within nations. – Jay Mazur, Foreign Affairs …inequality is soaring through the globalization period, within countries and across countries. And that's expected to continue. – Noam Chomsky …all the main parties support nonstop expansion in world trade and services although we all know it…makes rich people richer and poor people poorer… – Walter Schwarz, The Guardian The evidence strongly suggests that global income inequality has risen in the last twenty years. – Robert Wade We are convinced that globalization is good and it's good when you do your homework…keep your fundamentals in line on the economy, build up high levels of education, respect rule of law…when you do your part, we are convinced that you get the benefit. – President Vicente Fox of Mexico There is no way you can sustain economic growth without accessing a big and sustained market. – President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda We take the challenge of international competition in a level playing field as an incentive to deepen the reform process for the overall sustained development of the economy. WTO membership works like a wrecking ball, smashing whatever is left in the old edifice of the former planned economy. – Jin Liqun, Vice Minister of Finance of China 1. Development Research Group, World Bank. Views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official views of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or its member countries.