We present an improved panel database of national household surveys between 1988 and 2008. In 2008, the global Gini index is around 70.5%, having declined by approximately 2 Gini points. China graduated from the bottom ranks, changing a twin-peaked global income distribution to a single-peaked...

A non-technical review of the current status of the debate on the extent and trend of global inequality, its future evolution, and whether global inequality matters or not. Proposes a new scheme for distribution of cash aid directly to the poor citizens in poor countries

The standard formulae used to calculate poverty gaps are incorrect when the poverty analysis is conducted in terms of equivalent units (rather than in per capita terms). An exact calculation requires access to individual level data. If this is unavailable, the paper proposes an approximation.