World Inequality Grows Amid Glut of New Billionaires, Oxfam Says
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The global economy created a record number of billionaires last year, exacerbating inequality amid a weakening of workers’ rights and a corporate push to maximize shareholder returns, charity organization Oxfam International said in a new report.
The world now has 2,043 billionaires, after a new one emerged every two days in the past year, the nonprofit organization said in a report published Monday. The group of mostly men saw its wealth surge by $762 billion, which is enough money to end extreme poverty seven times over, according to Oxfam.
Inequality Amid Inequality
The vast majority of the world's 2,043 billionaires are men
According to separate data compiled by Bloomberg, the top 500 billionaires’ net worth grew 24 percent to $5.38 trillion in 2017, while the world’s richest person, Amazon.com Inc.’s Jeff Bezos, saw a gain of $33.7 billion.
“The billionaire boom is not a sign of a thriving economy but a symptom of a failing economic system,” said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International. “The people who make our clothes, assemble our phones and grow our food are being exploited.”
Oxfam published the report as global leaders, chief executives and bankers arrive in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. Noting that many of the world’s elite say they’re concerned about income inequality, the charity said most governments are “shamefully failing” to improve the matter.
Bloomberg’s Nick Wadhams previews the World Economic Forum in Davos,
(Source: Bloomberg)
Oxfam called on governments to limit shareholder and executive returns, while ensuring workers receive a living wage. It also recommended eliminating the gender pay gap and raising taxes on the wealthy, among other suggestions.
“People are ready for change,” Byanyima said. “They want a limit on the power and the wealth which sits in the hands of so few.”
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL1Q53MTL1QUHBI016.html世界の富の８２％、１％の富裕層に集中 国際ＮＧＯ試算
ダボス＝寺西和男
2018年1月22日18時16分
国際ＮＧＯ「オックスファム」は２２日、世界で１年間に生み出された富（保有資産の増加分）のうち８２％を、世界で最も豊かな上位１％が独占し、経済的に恵まれない下から半分（３７億人）は財産が増えなかったとする報告書を発表した。資産の偏在が格差拡大を招いているとして、世界の指導者に対策を呼びかけた。
報告書は、スイス金融大手クレディ・スイスによる家計資産のデータをもとに推計した。昨年６月までの１年間で上位１％の資産総額は、株価の上昇などによって７６２５億ドル（約８４兆円）増えた。これは、１日１・９ドル未満で暮らす絶対的貧困をなくすのに必要な額の７倍以上にあたるという。
