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Most people say that the political influence of the rich sectors has a big impact.
This press release has been translated into Spanish from the original English version.
A new survey by the Pew Research Centerwhich included 36 countries and was released today, notes that there is widespread concern about economic inequality. When investigating the factors that cause this inequality, most people in the countries involved in the research point out areas of intersection between wealth and politics.
- A median of 54% of adults in the countries surveyed stated that the gap between the rich and the poor it is a very serious problem in your country. On the other hand, a median of 30% says that it is a problem moderately grave.
- A median of 60% believes that the fact that rich people have too much political influence contributes enormously to economic inequality. Of the six factors we consulted on, this is the one most highlighted by respondents and is at the top of the list in 31 of the 36 countries surveyed.
Our survey also revealed deep concern, around the world, about the economic future and strong interest in economic reform.
- A median of 57% of adults in the countries surveyed they expect that the future economic position of their children, in their country, will be worse than the position of their parentscompared to a median of 34% who say their situation will be better. In 15 of the 31 countries for which trends are available, the percentage of the public who think their children will be financially worse off than their parents is higher today than in pre-pandemic surveys.
- The idea of change the economic system enjoys broad support in the surveyed countries. In all but three of them (Singapore, the Netherlands and Sweden), the majority say that their economic system should significant changes (median 52%) or a complete adaptation (median 20%).
In all Latin American countries surveyed, many people state that the six factors we consulted on contribute to economic inequality. The idea that political influence from the higher-income sector contributes to economic inequality is particularly common in the region, with roughly seven in ten or more saying this is the case in five of the six Latin American countries surveyed. And the sense that different birth opportunities contribute to economic inequality is often strongly expressed; Generally speaking, half or more of the people in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia share this opinion.
There are also concerns about racial and ethnic discrimination. Adults in Brazil are particularly likely to say that racial or ethnic discrimination contributes significantly to economic inequality in their country: this opinion is shared by 64% of people, the highest percentage among the 36 countries included in the survey. About half or more of people in Colombia, Peru and Chile also think this factor has a significant impact on inequality, while Argentines are the least likely across the region to share this view.
In general, people from this region are particularly interested in significant economic changes in their country. The majority, in most Latin American countries surveyed, want at least significant changes to be made to their economic system.
Other important conclusions of the report:
Factors believed to contribute to economic inequality
- In almost all the surveyed countries, the majority remains the same what the six factors the study focused on lead to economic inequality to at least a significant degree. However, there are differences in whether each of them contributes enormously to the situation.
- A median of 48% of adults say they have problems with their country’s education system They contribute greatly to economic inequality. Sri Lanka and Turkey are the only two countries where this is considered a factor with the highest frequency among all respondents.
- About four in ten people point to the fact that some people are born with more opportunities than others (40%) and that some people work harder than others (39%). They are factors that greatly contribute to economic inequality.
- A smaller group points to the impact of robots and computers doing work previously done by humans (31%) or discrimination against racial or ethnic minorities (29%).
Global perception of inequality and discrimination
- We asked in our survey What is the dimension of the problem of different types of inequality in each country?which includes the gap between rich and poor (median of 54% consider it a problem very seriously), discrimination based on one’s race or ethnic origin (34%), unequal rights between women and men (31%) and discrimination based on religion (29%). Many respondents in the surveyed countries also consider these to be moderately serious problems.
- Many people find these to be problems very serious in their country. In 35 out of 36 countries, more people say this about the gap between rich and poor than about any other issue.
- Religious discrimination is somewhat less of a cause for concern, in general, than other researched issues. However, in five countries (Bangladesh, France, India, Nigeria and Sri Lanka), half or more of them consider religious discrimination to be a very serious problem.
- People in middle-income countries are more likely than those in high-income countries to see any form of inequality as a very serious problem where they live.
(Consult in Appendix A classification of middle- and high-income countries).
These are some of the main findings of a new survey by the Pew Research Center, which included 45,103 adults and was conducted between January 5 and May 22, 2024.
To read the full report, visit (in English): https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/01/09/economic-inequality-seen-as-major-challenge-around-the-world/
ALSO READ THE FOLLOWING: The economic rating of 34 countries is more negative than positive
Methodology: https://www.pewresearch.org/2025/01/09/methodology-inequality/
The main message of the survey: https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/01/pg_2025.01.09_inequality_topline.pdf
