NPR

The Country With The World's Worst Inequality Is ...

The World Bank looked at economic data from around the globe to see where the gap between the rich and the poor is the greatest.
Source: Hilary Fung

More than two decades after South Africa ousted a racist apartheid system that trapped the vast majority of South Africans in poverty, more than half the country still lives below the national poverty line and most of the nation's wealth remains in the hands of a small elite.

"The country was very unequal in 1994 [at the end of apartheid] and now 25 years later South Africa is the most unequal country in the world," says Victor Sulla, a senior economist for the World Bank in charge of southern Africa. "There is no country that we

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readWorld
A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.
NPR5 min read
DRC Is Seeing Its Worst Mpox Outbreak — But Has No Vaccines Or Treatments Yet. Why?
With nearly 5,000 cases reported so far this year — and concerns about a new strain — the Democratic Republic of Congo is considering the declaration of a public health emergency.
NPR4 min read
Taylor Swift Fans Mean Business With Tortured Poets Soap, Eras Yarn, Kelce Cookies
Entrepreneurial Swifties are selling crafty products inspired by Taylor Swift's music and style. Swift herself has been known to send notes and even homemade gifts to creative super-fans.

Related Books & Audiobooks