By the beginning ceremony of "Davos dialogue" at World Economy Forum on 25th January 2021, Oxfam announced the report "The inequality virus" to show the world a set of evidence that reveals the global inequality. COVID-19 exacerbating global inequality, this conclusion forces us once again to pay attention to equality. Especially, the contrary numbers that the report provides will make you wonder: If the world is run equally?. Such as: [1]
- It took just nine months for the fortunes of the top 1,000 billionaires to return to their pre-pandemic highs, while for the world’s poorest, recovery could take more than a decade.
- The increase in the wealth of the 10 richest billionaires since the crisis began is more than enough to prevent anyone on Earth from falling into poverty because of the virus and to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for all.
- The pandemic deprived children in the poorest countries of almost four months of schooling, compared with six weeks for children in high-income countries
- The pandemic deprived children in the poorest couA tax on the excess profits earned by corporations during the coronavirus pandemic could generate $104 billion: enough to provide unemployment protection for all workers and financial support for all children and elderly people in the poorest countries.
The report also shows various data and evidence to prove what Gabriela Bucher, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: "We stand to witness the greatest rise in inequality since records began."
And you, what do you think about this situation?
[1] The Inequality Virus - English Summary
[2] Oxfam (2021) Mega-rich recoup COVID-losses in record-time yet billions will live in poverty for at least a decade. Access