Topic: Inequality, opportunity and wealth

Research at the Living Conditions department explores opportunity gaps and evaluates public interventions aiming at addressing inequality and enhancing societal cohesion.

From origins to opportunities: investigating the roots and remedies of economic inequality

Economic inequality stems from disparities in income, wealth, and access to opportunities, some of which are shaped early in life and may not be considered fair or desirable. The Living Conditions department uses large-scale data to study how unequal opportunities impact individual well-being and social cohesion, and to evaluate the effectiveness of public policies in reducing these disparities.

Understanding the nature of economic inequality

Economic inequality arises from disparities in income, wealth, and economic resources within a given population, such as countries, regions, or cities. Economic inequality may be considered legitimate if it results from individuals exercising their freedoms, and it can even be desirable if it fosters incentives and motivation. However, it is less clear whether inequalities linked to an individual's background, or more broadly to innate characteristics or those formed early in life (such as during childhood, schooling, or entry into the labor market), should be deemed equally fair or desirable.

The economic and sociological literature emphasises that the study of economic inequalities must also consider how opportunities to achieve these economic outcomes are distributed, as well as the presence of opportunity gaps within the economy.

Analysing inequality of opportunity through data-driven research

The Living Conditions department adopts a research-driven approach to analysing the increasingly accessible big data in social sciences (such as large-scale surveys and administrative data), aiming to identify the unequal distribution of opportunities across populations and assess the effectiveness of public interventions in addressing inequality of opportunity. The department investigates how such disparities in opportunity influence individual well-being as well as societal cohesion and inclusiveness. To this end, the Living Conditions department is dedicated to advancing innovative research and developing data-driven tools that support informed decision-making.

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