NEW DELHI: Economic data paints a complex picture of modern growth: while absolute poverty has declined significantly, relative wealth concentration at the top has accelerated.
The top-tier share: Comprehensive economic studies, including global inequality tracking reports, highlight that top earners capture a major share of national income, while the bottom half receives a much smaller slice.
The asset divide: The concentration of wealth among the top percentile is largely driven by financial assets, urban real estate, and corporate ownership. When economic returns favour capital over labour, income disparity naturally widens unless counterbalanced by progressive fiscal policies.
Progressive taxation: Economists and policymakers increasingly emphasise the need to balance growth incentives with progressive taxation, closing tax loopholes, and strengthening public investments in free education and healthcare to ensure wealth circulates productively through the broader economy.
