2% of worlds population own 50% of wealth..... - General Discussion

lemoncurd · 05-12-2006, 23:43

...and the poorest 50% own 1% of the world's wealth.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6211250.stm

What has gone so horribly wrong? Has this come about as a result of pure fluke or do the richest people not know when to stop?

Questions on a postcard (or a post in this thread!)......

ScottishWoody · 05-12-2006, 23:45

Believe it or not, ALL of us posting here will probably be in the top 10% or so

Toxic Bunni · 05-12-2006, 23:50

In the top 10% what?

Kelly's Aye · 06-12-2006, 00:02

If the world was a village of 100 people:

Population / Wealth Proportion:

North = 20 (15 have 81% of world's wealth)
South = 80 (22 have less than $1 a day)

*taken from my anthropology notes.

I have to say I was shocked when I read these stats, I didn't realise the differences were so extreme.

lemoncurd · 06-12-2006, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toxic Bunni

In the top 10% what?

Of the world's earners. I's say nearer to 5% to be honest. Even the homeless in this country are stinking rich when all things are relative....

mark_b · 06-12-2006, 00:31

There's a website somewhere, where you can enter your annual wage and it will show you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world. I've done a search and I can't find it but I recall that someone earning around £15k would be in the top 8% and someone earning £21k would be in the top 5%.

clanchief · 06-12-2006, 04:21

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

blueblade · 06-12-2006, 06:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by clanchief

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

Real food for thought there. I would venture to say that many of us on here would be within the top 1% of the world's earners. Even more striking is that the money we spend on, basically, crap here, could buy life saving stuff for underdeveloped countries.

DeltaUnit22 · 06-12-2006, 07:34

Top 0.9. Quite scary really.

lordoftheflies · 06-12-2006, 08:43

I don't know why anyone is surprised it has always and will, for the foreseeable future, always be like this.

Toxic Bunni · 06-12-2006, 08:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemoncurd

Of the world's earners. I's say nearer to 5% to be honest. Even the homeless in this country are stinking rich when all things are relative....

Oh ok, I'm with ya now.

scowler · 06-12-2006, 09:22

The stats may be skewed by the fact that the poorer a person is, the more children they tend to have.

Birth rates in the developed countries in the west have consistently gone down as wealth has gone up so less people are shown in the figures to be in possession of the wealth.

Not saying that this makes it all alright, but unless everybody here is willing to give a substantial portion of their monthly wages to overseas charities, sell their car, move to a much cheaper home, etc., why bother torturing oneself about something that has always been this way?

06-12-2006, 09:26

£8000 = top 12.29%
£10000 = Top 11.5% in the whole world.
£15000 = top 8.55%
£20000 = top 4.09%
£25000 = top 1.42%
£30000 = top 0.94%
£35000 = top 0.89%
£40000 = top 0.83%
£50000 = top 0.71%

And I still can't afford the 'must have' luxurious home that the world owes me.

Toxic Bunni · 06-12-2006, 09:30

Well no one in my household earns £10k per year so I'm probs in the top 13/14%

mark_b · 06-12-2006, 10:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by clanchief

http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

Thanks for that. Here's another website which further highlights (amongst other things) the gross inequalities of this world.

http://www.miniature-earth.com/

kmx1974 · 06-12-2006, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemoncurd

...and the poorest 50% own 1% of the world's wealth.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6211250.stm

What has gone so horribly wrong? Has this come about as a result of pure fluke or do the richest people not know when to stop?

Questions on a postcard (or a post in this thread!)......

That's the nature of capitalism I'm afraid, you can't have rich people without poor people. Even in this country half of everything is owned by the richest 7% of the population and we're supposed to be developed.

Tortue · 07-12-2006, 01:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_b

There's a website somewhere, where you can enter your annual wage and it will show you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world. I've done a search and I can't find it but I recall that someone earning around £15k would be in the top 8% and someone earning £21k would be in the top 5%.

That doesn't necessarily mean your the richest though as it costs a lot to live in the UK. You may earn more than someone somewhere else but not necessarily have a better standard of living

05-12-2006, 23:43	#1
lemoncurd Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Gender: Male Location: Bristol Services: Freeview (Fusion FVRT200 DVR); BeUnlimited 8Mb Posts: 23,214 Blog Entries: 1	2% of worlds population own 50% of wealth..... ...and the poorest 50% own 1% of the world's wealth. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6211250.stm What has gone so horribly wrong? Has this come about as a result of pure fluke or do the richest people not know when to stop? Questions on a postcard (or a post in this thread!)......

06-12-2006, 00:31	#6
mark_b Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Shropshire Services: Freeview (BT iPlayer+) \| UKFSN 8Mb \| K800i on O2 Posts: 504	There's a website somewhere, where you can enter your annual wage and it will show you how rich you are compared to the rest of the world. I've done a search and I can't find it but I recall that someone earning around £15k would be in the top 8% and someone earning £21k would be in the top 5%. Last edited by mark_b : 06-12-2006 at 00:32.

06-12-2006, 09:26	#13
Zero gravitas. Posts: n/a	£8000 = top 12.29% £10000 = Top 11.5% in the whole world. £15000 = top 8.55% £20000 = top 4.09% £25000 = top 1.42% £30000 = top 0.94% £35000 = top 0.89% £40000 = top 0.83% £50000 = top 0.71% And I still can't afford the 'must have' luxurious home that the world owes me. Last edited by Zero gravitas. : 06-12-2006 at 09:33.

05-12-2006, 23:45	#2
ScottishWoody Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Gender: Not specified Location: Fife twitter.com/scottishwoody Services: by appointment only Posts: 10,068 Blog Entries: 10	Believe it or not, ALL of us posting here will probably be in the top 10% or so

05-12-2006, 23:50	#3
Toxic Bunni Banned User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 0207 baby! Posts: 11,920	In the top 10% what?

06-12-2006, 00:02	#4
Kelly's Aye Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Glesga Posts: 712	If the world was a village of 100 people: Population / Wealth Proportion: North = 20 (15 have 81% of world's wealth) South = 80 (22 have less than $1 a day) *taken from my anthropology notes. I have to say I was shocked when I read these stats, I didn't realise the differences were so extreme.

06-12-2006, 04:21	#7
clanchief Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Services: BT ADSL Home Hub, BT Vision, Humax PVR9200T, 2xBT Netgem iPlayer+ Posts: 1,215	http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

06-12-2006, 07:34	#9
DeltaUnit22 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: ♂ South East London Posts: 1,577	Top 0.9. Quite scary really.

06-12-2006, 08:43	#10
lordoftheflies Banned User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 7,201	I don't know why anyone is surprised it has always and will, for the foreseeable future, always be like this.

06-12-2006, 09:22	#12
scowler Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 581	The stats may be skewed by the fact that the poorer a person is, the more children they tend to have. Birth rates in the developed countries in the west have consistently gone down as wealth has gone up so less people are shown in the figures to be in possession of the wealth. Not saying that this makes it all alright, but unless everybody here is willing to give a substantial portion of their monthly wages to overseas charities, sell their car, move to a much cheaper home, etc., why bother torturing oneself about something that has always been this way?

06-12-2006, 09:30	#14
Toxic Bunni Banned User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 0207 baby! Posts: 11,920	Well no one in my household earns £10k per year so I'm probs in the top 13/14%