CHANGING PATTERNS OF INEQUALITY IN A CHANGING GLOBAL ORDER

Abstract

This research empirically examines the extent to which progress toward meeting the new international economic order (NIEO) goal of reducing global and societal inequalities has been made in the period since 1972-74. Data on global income distribution from 1946-76 are presented and analyzed. Additionally, the developed West, East, the underdeveloped South, and OPEC nations are examined separately. Basic human needs distributions are also examined utilizing data from the third edition of the World Handbook of Political and Social Indicators. Distributional calculations in these analyses are based upon the well known GINI coefficient. The major finding which emerges is that the NIEO goal of reducing the amount of global and societal inequalities is not being met. In fact, on the whole, a global trend toward greater inequality seems evident. Increasing inequality also is particularly prominent in non-OPEC developing Third World nations. Reductions in aggregate inequality have been made, but this progress is limited by and large to developed Northern and OPEC nations.