Gaps in income and wealth may be shooting up within individual countries, but per capita income in developing countries is rising much faster than in the advanced economies. Indeed, that is why one of the key targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals – to halve the number of people living in absolute poverty – was achieved five years ahead of the deadline.
这些数据有力地反驳了全球不平等加剧的观点。收入和财富的差距也许在个体国家内部有所加剧，但发展中国家的人均收入增长远快于发达经济体。事实上，正因如此，联合国千年发展目标（Millennium Development Goals）的关键目标之一——让生活在绝对贫困状态中的人口数量减少一半——提前五年实现了。