Redistribute the Rep
2nd April 2014, 04:41
The numbers of people living on less than $2 per day has risen by almost 50% since 1980, to 2.8 billion—almost half the world’s population. And this is precisely the period that has been most heavily liberalized. (World Bank, Global Economic Outlook 2000)
Recent evidence suggests that the numbers of people living on less than $1 per day is growing in most regions of the world (with the notable exception of China). (World Bank, Global Economic Outlook 2000)
The world’s poorest countries’ share of world trade has declined by more than 40 per cent since 1980 to a mere 0.4 per cent. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 1999)
The poorest 49 countries make up 10% of the world’s population, but account for only 0.4% of world trade. This disparity has been growing. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 2001)
51 of the 100 largest economies in the world are corporations. The Top 500 multinational corporations account for nearly 70 percent of the worldwide trade; this percentage has steadily increased over the past twenty years. (CorpWatch)
The U.N. estimates that poor countries lose about US$2 billion per day because of unjust trade rules, many instituted by our organization—14 times the amount they receive in aid. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 2001)
In 59 countries, average income is lower today than 20 years ago. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999)
In 1980-1996 only 33 of 130 developing countries increased growth by more than 3% per capita, while the GNP per capita of 59 countries declined. Around 1.6 billion people are economically worse off today than 15 years ago. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999, p. 31.)
Poor are getting poorer in both relative and absolute terms, as one UNICEF study has commented: “A new face of ‘apartheid’ is spreading across the globe…. as millions of people live in wretched conditions side-by-side with those who enjoy unprecedented prosperity.” (UNICEF figures based on World Bank "World Development Indicators 1997")
UNCTAD estimates that LDCs will lose between $163 and $265 million in export earnings as a result of implementation of Uruguay Round agreements, while paying $146 – 292 million more for their imports. (UNCTAD)
In 1999, outstanding external debt of LDCs was 89% of their aggregate GDP. This has been increasing steadily. (UNCTAD)
Inequality back to top
The richest fifth have 80% of the world’s income and the poorest fifth have 1%; this gap has doubled between 1960 and 2000. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999)
In almost all countries that have undertaken rapid trade liberalisation, wage inequality has increased—20-30% fall in wages in some Latin American countries. (UNCTAD 1997)
Even in the First World, the gap between upper executive and worker salaries has never bigger--it is in fact many times bigger than it was twenty years ago. (UNCTAD 1997)
Wages of unskilled labour declined by ~25% between 1984 and 1995. Unskilled wages in the US have fallen by 20% (in real terms) since the 1970s. (UNCTAD 1997)
Trade liberalization is negatively correlated with income growth among the poorest 40 per cent of the population, but positively correlated with income growth among higher income groups. In other words, it helps the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. (Lundberg and Squire, Inequality and Growth; Lessons for Policy, World Bank 1999, Chapter 3.)
At the start of the 19th Century, the ratio of real incomes per head between the world’s richest and poorest countries was three to one. By 1900, it was 10 to one. By 2000, it has risen to 60 to one ($29,000 to $500). (“The Assessment: The Twentieth Century – Achievements, Failures, Lessons,” Angus Maddison, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, winter 1999, cited in Martin Wolf FT 26/1/2000)
A World Bank study found that implementing Uruguay Round agreements on various things can cost more than a year’s development budget for the poorest countries. (Yves Bertholet, United Nations Coordinator of Regional Development, 1999)
The latest round of trade talks has cost sub-Saharan Africa an estimated US$600 million per year. This could be why in June 1999, 30 African countries signed a declaration against new trade agreements. This could be why, also, developing nations used the opportunity of the Seattle protests to voice their opposition to WTO trade talks. ("Africa Recovery", United Nations, 1999)
http://www.gatt.org/trastat_e.html
Ok so I read somewhere online today that "the amount of people in the world living under $1 has decreased since 1970 by 80%." No source was given, so I decided to do some research and found these stats, and as we could already guess, it was bullshit. But really, does anybody know whose anus that stat came from? It's kind of bothering me even though its obviously false.
Recent evidence suggests that the numbers of people living on less than $1 per day is growing in most regions of the world (with the notable exception of China). (World Bank, Global Economic Outlook 2000)
The world’s poorest countries’ share of world trade has declined by more than 40 per cent since 1980 to a mere 0.4 per cent. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 1999)
The poorest 49 countries make up 10% of the world’s population, but account for only 0.4% of world trade. This disparity has been growing. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 2001)
51 of the 100 largest economies in the world are corporations. The Top 500 multinational corporations account for nearly 70 percent of the worldwide trade; this percentage has steadily increased over the past twenty years. (CorpWatch)
The U.N. estimates that poor countries lose about US$2 billion per day because of unjust trade rules, many instituted by our organization—14 times the amount they receive in aid. (UNCTAD, Conference on Least Developed Countries 2001)
In 59 countries, average income is lower today than 20 years ago. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999)
In 1980-1996 only 33 of 130 developing countries increased growth by more than 3% per capita, while the GNP per capita of 59 countries declined. Around 1.6 billion people are economically worse off today than 15 years ago. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999, p. 31.)
Poor are getting poorer in both relative and absolute terms, as one UNICEF study has commented: “A new face of ‘apartheid’ is spreading across the globe…. as millions of people live in wretched conditions side-by-side with those who enjoy unprecedented prosperity.” (UNICEF figures based on World Bank "World Development Indicators 1997")
UNCTAD estimates that LDCs will lose between $163 and $265 million in export earnings as a result of implementation of Uruguay Round agreements, while paying $146 – 292 million more for their imports. (UNCTAD)
In 1999, outstanding external debt of LDCs was 89% of their aggregate GDP. This has been increasing steadily. (UNCTAD)
Inequality back to top
The richest fifth have 80% of the world’s income and the poorest fifth have 1%; this gap has doubled between 1960 and 2000. (United Nations Human Development Report, 1999)
In almost all countries that have undertaken rapid trade liberalisation, wage inequality has increased—20-30% fall in wages in some Latin American countries. (UNCTAD 1997)
Even in the First World, the gap between upper executive and worker salaries has never bigger--it is in fact many times bigger than it was twenty years ago. (UNCTAD 1997)
Wages of unskilled labour declined by ~25% between 1984 and 1995. Unskilled wages in the US have fallen by 20% (in real terms) since the 1970s. (UNCTAD 1997)
Trade liberalization is negatively correlated with income growth among the poorest 40 per cent of the population, but positively correlated with income growth among higher income groups. In other words, it helps the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. (Lundberg and Squire, Inequality and Growth; Lessons for Policy, World Bank 1999, Chapter 3.)
At the start of the 19th Century, the ratio of real incomes per head between the world’s richest and poorest countries was three to one. By 1900, it was 10 to one. By 2000, it has risen to 60 to one ($29,000 to $500). (“The Assessment: The Twentieth Century – Achievements, Failures, Lessons,” Angus Maddison, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, winter 1999, cited in Martin Wolf FT 26/1/2000)
A World Bank study found that implementing Uruguay Round agreements on various things can cost more than a year’s development budget for the poorest countries. (Yves Bertholet, United Nations Coordinator of Regional Development, 1999)
The latest round of trade talks has cost sub-Saharan Africa an estimated US$600 million per year. This could be why in June 1999, 30 African countries signed a declaration against new trade agreements. This could be why, also, developing nations used the opportunity of the Seattle protests to voice their opposition to WTO trade talks. ("Africa Recovery", United Nations, 1999)
http://www.gatt.org/trastat_e.html
Ok so I read somewhere online today that "the amount of people in the world living under $1 has decreased since 1970 by 80%." No source was given, so I decided to do some research and found these stats, and as we could already guess, it was bullshit. But really, does anybody know whose anus that stat came from? It's kind of bothering me even though its obviously false.