We are used to thinking about inequality within countries--about rich Americans versus poor Americans, for instance. But what about inequality between all citizens of the world? Worlds Apart addresses just how to measure global inequality among individuals, and shows that inequality is shaped by...

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. The Rise of the Global Middle Class and Global Plutocrats -- 2. Inequality within Countries -- 3. Inequality among Countries -- 4. Global In equality in Th is Century and the Next -- 5. What Next? -- Notes -- References -- Index

Using household surveys from Yemen and Djibouti, the paper analyzes determinants of qat consumptions in two countries. The results confirm huge importance of qat in daily life: with between one-half (in Djibouti) and 70 percent (in Yemen) of all households reporting at least one user. But in...

Using social tables, we make an estimate of global inequality (inequality among world citizens) in early 19th century. We then show that the level and composition of global inequality have changed over the last two centuries. The level has increased reaching a high plateau around 1950s, and the...

The results of new direct price level comparisons across 146 countries in 2005 have led to large revisions of PPP (purchasing power parity) exchanges rates, particularly for China and India. The recalculation of international and global inequalities, using the new PPPs, shows that inequalities...

Almost all social transfers are conducted within nations. Is there a case for cross border transfers? What could be the grounds for such transfers from the globally rich to globally poor people? The paper explores three possible grounds: compensation for the past wrongs; economic and political...

The paper uses the data from Francois Quesnay's writings to derive a social table for pre-revolutionary France, estimate country's mean income and income distribution. These Quesnay-based estimates are compared with more recent estimates of 18th century French incomes and inequality.