Economics and Wealth

Global Challenges excerpt from the 2010 State of the Future report

This section includes indicators that can measure change of the following challenge:

The Rich-Poor Gap

How can ethical economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor? [Challenge 7]


The Rich-Poor Gap

How can ethical economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor? [Challenge 7]

 -- Indicators --

The suggested indicators to measure progress for this challenge were:

  1. Measurements of the economic gap between rich and poor.
  2. Percentage of people completing various level of education.
  3. Level of foreign aid, the nature of aid programs, and assessment of the consequences on poverty.
  4. The extent of charitable giving and volunteerism by individuals and corporations, where that giving is not tied to expectations of business return.
  5. Number of foreign owned companies
  6. Strength (e.g. membership and power) of trade union movements
  7. Employment and unemployment statistics.
  8. Social Security policies and politics.
  9. Production and consumption of ethically produced products.
  10. Number of companies that pass an “ethics screen.”
  11. Measurement of levels of corruption in government and society.
  12. Percentage of middle class.
  13. Tax policies and the degree to which they are followed.
  14. Extent of training in conflict resolution and ethics being provided in schools, government, business, etc. 
  15. Extent and effectiveness of training programs designed to teach entrepreneurial skills.
  16. Spread of employee ownership plans.
  17. Number of share holders and the strata of the population they represent.
  18. Assessment of new mechanisms for reducing third world debt.
  19. Measurement of the extent and importance of currency speculation.
  20. Combined indicators of rates of internal saving, investment, internal consumption, exports, cost of living.
  21. Migration statistics.
  22. Magnitude of government expenditure on welfare programs (e.g. labor market intervention and health care).

The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability were:
[The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]

  1. Employment and unemployment statistics (7)
  2. Percentage of people completing various level of education (2)
  3. Measurements of the economic gap between rich and poor (1)
  4. Magnitude of government expenditure on welfare programs (e.g. labor market intervention and health care) (22)
  5. Migration statistics (21)
  6. Combined indicators of rates of internal saving, investment, internal consumption, exports, cost of living (20)
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