- Most say rich people’s political influence is a big contributing factor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new Pew Research Center survey of 36 nations released on Jan. 9, 2025, found widespread public concern about economic inequality. When asked what leads to this inequality, most people across the countries surveyed point to the intersection of wealth and politics.
A median of 54% of adults across the nations surveyed say the gap between the rich and the poor is a very big problem in their country. A median of 30% says it is a moderately big problem.
A median of 60% believe that rich people having too much political influence contributes a great deal toward economic inequality. Of the six factors we asked about, this one resonates most with respondents, topping the list in 31 of 36 countries surveyed.
The survey also finds deep global anxieties about the economic future and a strong desire for economic reform.
A median of 57% of adults across nations polled expect children in their country to be worse off financially than their parents when they grow up, compared with a median of 34% who say they will be better off. In 15 of 31 countries where trends are available, the share of the public who thinks children will be worse off financially than their parents is higher today than in pre-pandemic surveys.
There is widespread support for changing the economic system in the countries surveyed. In all but three nations (Singapore, the Netherlands, and Sweden), majorities say their economic system needs major changes (52% median) or complete reform (20% median).
While most adults across the 36 countries surveyed think children will be worse off financially than their parents, there are some Asia-Pacific nations where the public is more optimistic than pessimistic: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Meanwhile, concerns about racial and ethnic discrimination vary across the region. Particularly large shares say this is a very big problem in Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh, while fewer than 2 in 10 in Australia, Singapore, and South Korea say the same. And within the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore stands out as the survey country with the lowest share calling for major changes or complete reform to their economic system (29%).
Additional key findings from the report
Factors seen as contributing to economic inequality:
Majorities in almost every country surveyed believe all six factors we asked about lead to economic inequality at least a fair amount. However, there are differences over whether each contributes a great deal.
A median of 48% of adults say problems with their country’s education system contribute a great deal to economic inequality. Sri Lanka and Turkey are the only two countries where this is seen as the top contributing factor of those we asked about.
Around 4 in 10 say some people being born with more opportunities than others (40%) and some people working harder than others (39%) are factors that contribute to economic inequality a great deal.
Fewer point to the impact of robots and computers doing the work previously done by humans (31%) or to discrimination against racial or ethnic minorities (29%).
Brazilians are particularly likely to say racial or ethnic discrimination is a major contributor to economic inequality – 64% say this, the highest share in any survey country.
Global perceptions of inequality and discrimination
Our survey asked respondents how large a problem various types of inequality are in their nation, including the gap between the rich and the poor (a median of 54% see it as a very big problem), discrimination based on a person’s race or ethnicity (34%), unequal rights for men and women (31%), and discrimination based on a person’s religion (29%). Many across the countries surveyed also see these as moderately big problems.
Many people see these as very big problems in their country. In 35 of 36 countries, more say this about the gap between the rich and the poor than any other issue.
There is somewhat less concern overall about religious discrimination than about the other issues asked. But in five nations (Bangladesh, France, India, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka), half or more believe religious discrimination is a very big problem.
People in middle-income countries are more likely than those in high-income countries to see each form of inequality as a very big problem where they live.
These are among the key findings of a new Pew Research Center survey of 45,103 adults conducted from Jan. 5 to May 22, 2024.
Read the full report: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/01/09/economic-inequality-seen-as-major-challenge-around-the-world/
