The world's top ten richest people double their wealth, and the number of poor people increases by more than 160 million

　　A report released by the international rescue organization Oxfam on the 17th shows that since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the gap between the rich and the poor has further widened in the world. The total wealth of the richest 10 people has more than doubled, while the number of poor people has increased by more than 160 million. .

　　The "Inequality Kills" report draws the above conclusions, citing the latest data released by the World Bank, Forbes, the Credit Suisse Institute and other institutions.

　　The report said that between March 2020 and November 2021, the combined wealth of the 10 richest people in the world increased from about $700 billion to more than $1.5 trillion, equivalent to seven times the combined wealth of the world’s poorest 3.1 billion people.

At the same time, the number of poor people increased by more than 160 million.

　　According to the report, during the epidemic, economic, gender and racial inequalities have been increasing around the world, and the gap between countries is also growing, and this change is "ripping our world apart."

Oxfam conservatively estimates that inequality contributes to an average of at least 21,000 deaths per day globally, equivalent to one death every four seconds.

This conclusion is based on data on global deaths from factors such as lack of health care services, gender-based violence, hunger and climate change.

　　"It's not accidental, it's (artificial) choice: 'economic violence' happens when structural policy choices favour the richest and most powerful," DPA reported, citing the report's authors. Directly hurt, the poorest people, women and people of color are hurt the most.”

　　The report calls on relevant parties to adjust tax policies, advance economic and social reforms, and increase investment in healthcare, combating gender discrimination, and tackling climate change, so as to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and promote social equality.

　　According to the ranking of Forbes magazine at the end of 2021, the 10 richest people in the world include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and French luxury goods group LVMH. Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the American social media giant Facebook (now known as "Meta" company) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft's former CEO Steve Ballmer and well-known American investor Warren Buffett.

　　Wang Xinfang (Featured by Xinhua News Agency)