economic inequality
Uneven resource distribution
Economic inequality is the uneven distribution of wealth, income, or resources across a population.
It measures the gap between those who have more and those who have less: Economic inequality has widened dramatically since the 1980s.
Related terms like income inequality and wealth inequality focus on specific dimensions.
Discussions often address causes, consequences, and potential remedies—taxation, education, social programs.
Fair distribution of opportunities
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- reformImprove by correcting faults
egalitarianism · redistribution · empowerment · protest · labor movement · unionization · grassroots · solidarity
Sharing out again differently
- progressive taxationRates increase with income
- welfareComfort and prosperity
- social safety netPublic programs preventing destitution
- minimum wageLowest lawful hourly rate
living wage · universal basic income · fiscal policy · austerity · subsidies · tax breaks · estate tax · wealth tax
Gap between economic strata
- social stratificationSociety's hierarchical layering
- upper classWealthiest societal stratum
- middle classIntermediate socioeconomic group
- working classManual laborers collectively
lower class · caste · blue-collar · white-collar · elite · bourgeoisie · proletariat · aristocracy
Income cutoff marking need
- destitutionExtreme poverty, lacking necessities
- impoverishedExtremely lacking in money
- underprivilegedLacking usual social advantages
- homelessnessLacking permanent residence
slums · shantytown · malnutrition · food insecurity · subsistence · hardship · debt · working poor
Earnings difference between groups
- wealth gapEconomic inequality measure
- wage gapDisparity in earnings
- gender pay gapIncome inequality between sexes
- racial wealth gapDisparity in assets by ethnicity
wealth distribution · inequity · opportunity gap · glass ceiling · wage stagnation · purchasing power · intergenerational wealth · digital divide
Abundance of money
- billionairesPeople with vast fortunes
- millionairesPeople worth seven figures
- oligarchsWealthy few who govern
- plutocracyRule by the rich
tycoons · fortunes · estates · inheritance · heirs · capital · investments · dividends
social justice
Fair distribution of opportunities
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- fairnessJust and equal treatment
- advocacyPleading for a cause
reform · egalitarianism · redistribution · empowerment · protest · labor movement · unionization · grassroots · solidarity · collective action
redistribution
Sharing out again differently
- progressive taxationRates increase with income
- welfareComfort and prosperity
- social safety netPublic programs preventing destitution
minimum wage · living wage · universal basic income · fiscal policy · austerity · subsidies · tax breaks · estate tax · wealth tax · food stamps
class divide
Gap between economic strata
- social stratificationSociety's hierarchical layering
- upper classWealthiest societal stratum
- middle classIntermediate socioeconomic group
working class · lower class · caste · blue-collar · white-collar · elite · bourgeoisie · proletariat · aristocracy · underclass
poverty line
Income cutoff marking need
- destitutionExtreme poverty, lacking necessities
- impoverishedExtremely lacking in money
- underprivilegedLacking usual social advantages
homelessness · slums · shantytown · malnutrition · food insecurity · subsistence · hardship · debt · working poor · precarity
income gap
Earnings difference between groups
- wealth gapEconomic inequality measure
- wage gapDisparity in earnings
- gender pay gapIncome inequality between sexes
racial wealth gap · wealth distribution · inequity · opportunity gap · glass ceiling · wage stagnation · purchasing power · intergenerational wealth · digital divide · health disparities
affluence
Abundance of money
- billionairesPeople with vast fortunes
- millionairesPeople worth seven figures
- oligarchsWealthy few who govern
plutocracy · tycoons · fortunes · estates · inheritance · heirs · capital · investments · dividends · rentiers
- social issuesracism, poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, child labor
- social classupper class, middle class, lower class, working class, social class
- African economicsGDP, GDP growth, foreign investment, trade deficit, trade deficits
- labor fictionfactory workers, labor strikes, labor movement, working class, labor
- regional crisespoverty, violence, crime, corruption, hunger
- class conflictclass struggle, class warfare, class consciousness, bourgeoisie, proletariat
economic inequalityeconomic equality
Balanced distribution of resources
income equality · egalitarianism · classlessness · wealth redistribution · universal basic income
economic inequalityeconomic justice
Fair allocation of resources
social equity · economic fairness · equal opportunity · level playing field · meritocracy
economy, equally, equality, economic, unequal, inequality, economical, economics, equalize