Trends in global growth and inequality

The Trade and Development Report 2007 from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) has useful statistics on economic growth and inequality. For example, to quote one of the accompanying press releases:

“the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries increased by almost 30% between 2003 and 2007, compared to 10% for the Group of Seven (G-7) highly industrialized countries. In 2007, six years after the start of the global recovery, fewer than 10 out of 143 developing countries are set to record a fall in real per capita income.”

Later it goes on:

“Despite this broadly favourable trend, the relative gap in living standards between the developed and most developing countries remains huge: in 1980 per capita income was 23 times higher in developed than in developing countries. In 2007 the gap had narrowed to 18 times. However, this reduction was entirely due to rapid growth in East and South Asia. For Africa, Latin America, West Asia and the transition economies, the relative gap in 2007 is wider than it was in 1980.”