{
  "title": "Chart of the Week: Sharing the Wealth: Inequality and Who Owns What",
  "publication": "IMF Blog, December 7, 2017",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2017/12/07/chart-of-the-week-sharing-the-wealth-inequality-and-who-owns-what",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2017/12/07/chart-of-the-week-sharing-the-wealth-inequality-and-who-owns-what",
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  "summary": "Authors: The Editors",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Authors: The Editors\n- Date: December 7, 2017\n- Context: Chart of the Week from the October Fiscal Monitor focusing on wealth inequality—the distribution of wealth across households or individuals at a given time.\n- Visual note: Luxury yachts in Monaco: The surge in top incomes, combined with high savings, has resulted in growing wealth inequality (photo: Eric Gaillard/Newscom)."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings on wealth versus income",
      "content": "- Wealth is more unequally distributed than income.\n- For the countries listed (all part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development):\n  - The average share of wealth held by the top 10 percent of households is 50 percent.\n  - The average share of income held by the top 10 percent is 24 percent.\n- In the United States:\n  - The top 1 percent holds nearly 40 percent of total net wealth.\n- Financial assets (such as equities, life insurance, and pensions) make up a large share of household wealth at the very top."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Recent trends and causes",
      "content": "- Wealth inequality has risen considerably in recent decades.\n- The surge in top incomes, combined with high savings, has resulted in growing wealth inequality."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Fiscal policy responses highlighted",
      "content": "- Fiscal policy is a powerful tool for governments to address high and rising income and wealth inequality.\n- The Fiscal Monitor emphasizes that equity and efficiency can and must go hand-in-hand.\n- Policymakers need to consider both taxes and transfers, with many policy options available.\n- The Fiscal Monitor focuses on three policy debates:\n  - Progressive taxation\n  - Universal basic income (UBI)\n  - Public spending on education and health\n\nSource: Chart of the Week from the October Fiscal Monitor, as summarized on the IMF blog page \"Chart of the Week: Sharing the Wealth: Inequality and Who Owns What\" (The Editors, December 7, 2017).\n\n---\n\n\n References\n\n- https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BLOG-1024x600-CoTW-luxary-boats-wine-bottle-Eric-Gaillard-Newscom-rtrleight257834.jpg\n- Fiscal Monitor\n- https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chart4SharingTheWealthv3.gif\n- Fiscal Monitor\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/blogs/articles/2017/12/07/chart-of-the-week-sharing-the-wealth-inequality-and-who-owns-what"
    }
  ],
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    "Authors: The Editors",
    "Published: December 7, 2017",
    "Authors: The Editors",
    "Date: December 7, 2017",
    "Context: Chart of the Week from the October Fiscal Monitor focusing on wealth inequality—the distribution of wealth across households or individuals at a given time.",
    "Visual note: Luxury yachts in Monaco: The surge in top incomes, combined with high savings, has resulted in growing wealth inequality (photo: Eric Gaillard/Newscom).",
    "Wealth is more unequally distributed than income.",
    "For the countries listed (all part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development):",
    "In the United States:",
    "Financial assets (such as equities, life insurance, and pensions) make up a large share of household wealth at the very top.",
    "Wealth inequality has risen considerably in recent decades.",
    "The surge in top incomes, combined with high savings, has resulted in growing wealth inequality.",
    "Fiscal policy is a powerful tool for governments to address high and rising income and wealth inequality.",
    "The Fiscal Monitor emphasizes that equity and efficiency can and must go hand-in-hand.",
    "Policymakers need to consider both taxes and transfers, with many policy options available.",
    "The Fiscal Monitor focuses on three policy debates:",
    "[https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BLOG-1024x600-CoTW-luxary-boats-wine-bottle-Eric-Gaillard-Newscom-rtrleight257834.jpg](https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BLOG-1024x600-CoTW-luxary-boats-wine-bottle-Eric-Gaillard-Newscom-rtrleight257834.jpg)",
    "[Fiscal Monitor](http://www.imf.org/en/publications/fm/issues/2017/10/05/fiscal-monitor-october-2017)",
    "[https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chart4_SharingTheWealth_v3.gif](https://www.imf.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chart4_SharingTheWealth_v3.gif)",
    "[Fiscal Monitor](https://blogs.imf.org/2017/10/11/inequality-fiscal-policy-can-make-the-difference/)"
  ],
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