The Inequality Virus: Bringing together a world torn apart by coronavirus through a fair, just and sustainable economy

Published by Oxfam International on January 25, 2021, this report discusses the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on inequality in countries worldwide.The report notes that the pandemic worsened economic, gender and racial inequality in several countries. Billionaires worldwide increased their wealth by a total of $3.9 trillion between March and December 2020. At the same time, hundreds of millions lost their jobs and faced poverty and hunger. It is estimated that the total number of people living in poverty increased by between 200 and 500 million in 2020.This report contains the results of Oxfam’s survey of 295 economists from 79 countries about the impact of Covid-19 on global inequality. The 83-page publication has three chapters. A growing gulf between the rich and the poor (chapter 1) covers economic inequality worldwide, and the pandemic’s impact on it. People falling through the cracks in the system (chapter 2) discusses people and communities with limited access to healthcare, rights and social protection. A transformative agenda is now possible (chapter 3) contains the report’s recommendations on reducing inequality.