Search En
  • FR
  • DE
menu en ClientConnect
Close ClientConnect
Search
Search
  • Who we are
  • back
    • Overview
    • back
      • EIB Global
      • back
        • EU climate bank
        • back
          • EIB at a glance
          • back
            • Overview
            • Our priorities
            • Our initiatives
            • Tackling global challenges together
            • Partners
            • Part of the EU family
          • Governance and structure
          • back
            • Overview
            • Shareholders
            • Statutory bodies
            • Control and evaluation
            • Organisation structure
          • Corporate responsibility
          • back
            • Overview
            • Providing finance
            • Borrowing
            • Human rights and the EIB
            • Reporting on sustainability
            • Our internal commitment
            • Managing our environment
          • Transparency, accountability and access to information
          • back
            • Overview
            • EIB Group Complaints Mechanism overview
            • Project procurement complaints
            • Investigating fraud and misconduct
            • Evaluation
          • Public consultations
          • back
            • EIB Institute
            • back
            • What we offer
            • back
              • Overview
              • back
                • Loans
                • back
                  • Overview
                  • Loans for the public sector
                  • Framework loans for the public sector
                  • Loans for the private sector
                  • Intermediated loans for SMEs, mid-caps and other priorities
                  • Microfinance
                • Equity
                • back
                  • Overview
                  • Venture debt
                  • Investments in infrastructure and environmental funds
                  • Investments in SME and mid-cap funds
                • Guarantees
                • back
                  • Overview
                  • Credit enhancement for project finance
                  • Guarantees in support of SMEs, mid-caps and other objectives
                • Advisory services
                • back
                  • Overview
                  • Strategic Development
                  • Market Development
                  • Project Development
                • Mandates and partnerships
                • back
                  • Overview
                  • InvestEU
                  • European Guarantee Fund
                  • EU Blending facilities
                  • Donor partnerships
                  • Shared management funds and financial instruments
                  • EFSD Guarantee
                  • All mandates and partnerships
              • Projects
              • back
                • Overview
                • back
                  • Global investment map
                  • back
                    • Our projects
                    • back
                      • All projects
                      • Projects to be financed
                      • Financed projects
                    • Our regions of activity
                    • back
                      • Overview
                      • Enlargement countries
                      • European Union
                      • European Free Trade Association
                      • Southern Neighbourhood
                      • Eastern neighbourhood countries
                      • Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific
                      • Asia and Latin America
                      • The EIB in the Americas and the Caribbean
                      • Central Asia
                      • United Kingdom
                    • Our sectors
                    • back
                      • Overview
                      • Agriculture
                      • Digital economy
                      • Forestry
                      • Health and life science
                      • Energy
                      • Transport
                      • Urban development
                      • Regional development & cohesion
                      • Education and training
                      • Water and wastewater management
                      • Solid waste management
                    • Project cycle
                    • back
                      • Evaluation
                      • back
                      • Media centre
                      • back
                        • Overview
                        • back
                          • Newsroom
                          • back
                            • Overview
                            • All releases
                            • Press contacts
                          • Stories and essays
                          • back
                            • Overview
                            • Stories
                            • Essays
                            • Podcasts
                            • All Cartoons
                          • Video library
                          • back
                            • Events
                            • back
                              • Newsletter
                              • back
                                • Public register
                                • back
                                  • EIB surveys
                                  • back
                                    • Overview
                                    • EIB climate survey
                                  • Picture library
                                  • back
                                    • Infographics
                                    • back
                                      • Our logo
                                      • back
                                      • Publications and research
                                      • back
                                        • Overview
                                        • back
                                          • Publications
                                          • back
                                            • Our research
                                            • back
                                              • Overview
                                              • Economic analysis
                                              • Surveys and data
                                              • Assessing EIB impact
                                              • Stories - Economics
                                              • Economic conferences and research networks
                                            • EIB open data
                                            • back
                                              • Open learning
                                              • back
                                              • Work with us
                                              • back
                                                • Overview
                                                • back
                                                  • Careers
                                                  • back
                                                    • Overview
                                                    • Diversity and Inclusion
                                                    • Our recruitment process explained
                                                    • Internships
                                                  • Investor Relations
                                                  • back
                                                    • Overview
                                                    • Our funding
                                                    • Climate Awareness Bonds
                                                    • Sustainability Awareness Bonds
                                                    • Recent issues
                                                    • Outstanding issues
                                                    • Investor relations news
                                                    • Investor relations publications
                                                    • Investor relations newsletters
                                                  • Civil society and stakeholder engagement
                                                  • back
                                                    • Procurement
                                                    • back
                                                      • Contact us
                                                      • back
                                                      • Easy-to-read
                                                      • back
                                                          back
                                                          • The EIB at a glance
                                                          • back
                                                            • The EIB and development
                                                            • back
                                                              • The EIB COVID-19 response
                                                              • back
                                                                • The EIB climate action
                                                                • back
                                                                Results
                                                                Top 5 search results See all results Advanced search
                                                                Top searches
                                                                  Most visited pages
                                                                      • Home
                                                                        • Who we are
                                                                        • What we offer
                                                                        • Projects
                                                                        • Media centre
                                                                        • Publications and research
                                                                        • Work with us
                                                                        • Easy-to-read
                                                                      • Publications and research
                                                                        • Publications
                                                                        • Our research
                                                                        • EIB open data
                                                                        • Open learning
                                                                      • Publications
                                                                        • Find a publication

                                                                      On Inequality

                                                                      • Publication information

                                                                        • Author
                                                                        • Tessa Bending

                                                                        18 Mar 2021

                                                                        40 Pages (PDF/EN)

                                                                        ISBN: 978-92-861-4935-1 (PDF/EN)

                                                                        DOI: 10.2867/765820

                                                                      • Related tags

                                                                        • covid-19
                                                                        • Balanced regional development
                                                                        • Diversity and gender

                                                                      Part of the series :

                                                                      • Big Ideas
                                                                      • English (EN)
                                                                      • français (FR)
                                                                      • Deutsch (DE)
                                                                      • English (EN)
                                                                      • français (FR)
                                                                      • Deutsch (DE)

                                                                      Where would you like to collect your ebook ?

                                                                      • epub
                                                                      • ibooks
                                                                      • kobo
                                                                      • google-play
                                                                      • amazon-uk
                                                                      • amazon-fr
                                                                      • amazon-de
                                                                      • amazon-it
                                                                      • amazon-es
                                                                      • amazon-nl
                                                                      • amazon-us

                                                                      Where would you like to collect your ebook ?

                                                                      • epub
                                                                      • ibooks
                                                                      • kobo
                                                                      • google-play
                                                                      • amazon-uk
                                                                      • amazon-fr
                                                                      • amazon-de
                                                                      • amazon-it
                                                                      • amazon-es
                                                                      • amazon-nl
                                                                      • amazon-us

                                                                      Where would you like to collect your ebook ?

                                                                      • epub
                                                                      • ibooks
                                                                      • kobo
                                                                      • google-play
                                                                      • amazon-uk
                                                                      • amazon-fr
                                                                      • amazon-de
                                                                      • amazon-it
                                                                      • amazon-es
                                                                      • amazon-nl
                                                                      • amazon-us

                                                                      Description

                                                                      Does Europe have an inequality problem? Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many Europeans are certainly struggling. The rise of populist movements is another signal that something is awry. Many Europeans no longer see their economy as fair. But is this a problem of too much inequality, or just a problem of ideology? Is inequality even a bad thing? We need to consider the statistics on economic inequality, but also look beyond towards the lived experience of trying to make ends meet. We need to consider different ideas on the impact and significance of the inequality we see.

                                                                      Does inequality drive entrepreneurship, and thus innovation, through the struggle for upward social mobility? Or does inequality affect life chances, becoming entrenched, blocking social mobility and innovation?

                                                                      And does anyone really need a billion euros? If we have a euro to spare, do we create more happiness by giving it to the rich or to the poor? An old, once infamous, now oft-forgotten question in economics.

                                                                      Tessa Bending conducts research on social inclusion, social development and impact measurement at the Economics Department of the European Investment Bank (EIB). The department provides indepth analysis on critical investment issues to support international policy debates.

                                                                      This is the sixteenth essay in the Big Ideas series created by the European Investment Bank. The EIB has invited international thought leaders and experts to write about the most important issues of the day. These essays are a reminder that we need new thinking to protect the environment, promote equality and improve people’s lives around the globe.

                                                                      All publications in this series

                                                                      • A shelter from the pandemic
                                                                      • Togetherness - A new heritage deal for Europe
                                                                      • Hope and strength in the Western Balkans
                                                                      • The eastern horizon – A regional perspective
                                                                      • The genome e-volution
                                                                      • The vision and the path
                                                                      • Common Ground
                                                                      • Food for change
                                                                      • I have a dream
                                                                      • The virtuous circle
                                                                      • A bright future
                                                                      • Life in Cyberspace
                                                                      • Smart Europe
                                                                      • Health is wealth
                                                                      • Don't fear AI
                                                                      • On Water

                                                                      Other publications you may like...

                                                                      9 June 2023

                                                                      Gender-lens investing with the European Investment Bank for banks and funds becoming 2X Challenge partners

                                                                      Guidelines and advice for financial partners working with European Investment Bank on the 2X Challenge, a global initiative to improve women’s access to quality employment, support their business leadership and to provide them access to finance.
                                                                      Diversity and gender
                                                                      8 June 2023

                                                                      CESEE Bank Lending Survey – Spring 2023

                                                                      This report presents the results of the EIB CESEE Bank Lending survey at the regional and single country levels.
                                                                      CESEE CESEE BLS Slovakia Croatia Romania Bulgaria Albania North Macedonia Hungary Poland Serbia Czech Republic Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo* Enlargement Countries European Union Economics
                                                                      8 June 2023

                                                                      Investing in nature-based solutions

                                                                      Mobilising private investment in nature
                                                                      Environment NCFF - Natural Capital Financing Facility Research, innovation and technology Climate action and environment
                                                                       
                                                                        GET OUR NEWSLETTER

                                                                      Receive updates of the EIB Group’s activities in Europe and around the world.

                                                                      Thank you for subscribing.
                                                                      Next
                                                                       
                                                                       
                                                                      Please use a valid email address
                                                                      European Investment Bank

                                                                      © European Investment Bank 2023

                                                                      Information
                                                                      • Work with us
                                                                      • Investor relations
                                                                      • Contact
                                                                      • Fraud warning
                                                                      • Privacy
                                                                      • Terms of use
                                                                      GET OUR NEWSLETTER

                                                                      Receive updates of the EIB Group’s activities in Europe and around the world.

                                                                      Next
                                                                       
                                                                       
                                                                      Please use a valid email address
                                                                      Thank you for subscribing to the European Investment Bank’s monthly newsletter.
                                                                                 
                                                                       
                                                                       

                                                                      Our website uses anonymised cookies to give you the best browser experience and to collect aggregated statistics. This does not include online advertising cookies.

                                                                      Manage cookies  
                                                                       

                                                                      Cookies on our Careers Section

                                                                      Our website uses anonymised cookies to give you the best browser experience and to collect aggregated statistics. If you agree, this website section will also include third-party cookies used in online advertising.

                                                                      Manage cookies  
                                                                       
                                                                      Latest news on EIB's support for Ukraine