Government policies to alleviate poverty and to influence the distribution of income and wealth

Governments use tools like progressive taxation and benefits to redistribute income and reduce poverty. Each policy shif

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

Government policies to alleviate poverty and to influence the distribution of income and wealth

Policies that redistribute income and reduce poverty create trade-offs. They can improve fairness, but they may also aff

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

Government policies to alleviate poverty and to influence the distribution of income and wealth

Governments use a range of tools — including progressive taxation (where higher earners pay a larger share of their inco

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Income is money you receive regularly, like wages or benefits. Wealth is the total value of everything you own, like pro

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Several forces shape how income and wealth spread across a population. These include wages, taxes, government benefits,

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Equality means everyone gets the same share of income or wealth. Equity means everyone gets a fair share — which may not

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Economists use the Lorenz curve to show how unevenly income or wealth spreads across a population. The Gini coefficient

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Making incomes more equal can reduce poverty but may weaken incentives to work or invest. Greater inequality can boost g

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The distribution of income and wealth

Economies rarely share income — the money people earn — and wealth — the assets people own — evenly across the populatio

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The problem of poverty

Absolute poverty means lacking the basic necessities to survive, like food or shelter. Relative poverty means having muc

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The problem of poverty

Poverty has several root causes, including unemployment and low wages. It also produces serious consequences for individ

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality

The problem of poverty

Poverty can be measured in two distinct ways: absolute poverty, where people lack the basic resources needed to survive,

The distribution of income and wealth: poverty and inequality