Growing Unequal?: Income Distribution and Poverty in OECD Countries

by OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

"Growing Unequal?" brings together a range of analyses on the distribution of economic resources in OECD countries. For the first time, the data on income distribution and poverty covers all 30 OECD countries during the mid-2000s. Information on trends extending back to the mid-1980s is provided for approximately two-thirds of the countries. The report also describes inequalities (such as household wealth, consumption patterns, in-kind public services) that are usually excluded from conventional discussions about the distribution of economic resources among individuals and households. The evidence collected in this volume suggests that the timing, intensity, and causes of the increase in inequality differ from what is typically suggested in the media.

312 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2008

About the author

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organisation with 35 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It is a forum of countries describing themselves as committed to democracy and the market economy, providing a platform to compare policy experiences, seeking answers to common problems, identify good practices and coordinate domestic and international policies of its members.

In 1948, the OECD originated as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), led by Robert Marjolin of France, to help administer the Marshall Plan (which was rejected by the Soviet Union and its satellite states). This would be achieved by allocating American financial aid and implementing economic programs for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. (Similar reconstruction aid was sent to the war-torn Republic of China and post-war Korea, but not under the name "Marshall Plan".)

In 1961, the OEEC was reformed into the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and membership was extended to non-European states. Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.

The OECD's headquarters are at the Château de la Muette in Paris, France. The OECD is funded by contributions from member states at varying rates.

Reviews

[Shriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

read it for raw data for a project
bland but useful?