Wealth Inequality in South-East Asia

Abstract

COVID-19 has not only affected China but also had an enormous impact on global economic growth. The pandemic caused an increase in unemployment rate around the world, which led to the corruption of the job market. However, some sectors still developed stably despite other businesses getting disrupted. As a consequence, those economic changes could negatively contribute to rising wealth inequality in different ways. This study aims to review the impact of COVID-19 on wealth inequality specifically in South-East Asia, by reviewing data about income distribution, analyzing, comparing them pre and post pandemic, with considering other factors such as inflation and social characteristics. COVID-19 might create a gap between different social classes, but it might not leave a significant contribution to this issue. Ultimately, this research will offer insights for policy makers and economists to work on improvements and advancements towards a modern society in the new normal era.