South Korea improving on inequality, Hong Kong slipping: Oxfam

UK-based charity says rich and poor countries alike exacerbated rising economic inequality during the pandemic.

South Korea, Singapore, Tajikistan and the Maldives have made some of the biggest strides in tackling inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Hong Kong experienced one of the sharpest declines, research by Oxfam International and Development Finance International has found.

Tajikistan saw the biggest improvement in government policies to fight inequality during the pandemic, jumping 37 places, according to the index released on Tuesday, followed by Maldives and Bhutan, which rose 33 and 30 spots, respectively.

Singapore and South Korea were the sixth and ninth-best improvers, jumping 27 and 22 places, respectively, according to the 2022 Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index.

Moldova, Morocco, Egypt, Mauritius and the occupied Palestinian territory also ranked among the top 10 biggest improvers.

Oxfam said Tajikistan’s improved ranking was due to increases in personal income tax, while the Maldives and South Korea had benefitted from the introduction of a progressive income tax and increased social spending and pension coverage, respectively.

Afghanistan, Togo and Honduras saw the biggest declines in the index, falling between 36 and 34 places, due to collapsing tax revenues and other factors including deteriorating labor rights for women and shrinking social spending.

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous territory of China, dropped 26 places, the eighth biggest decline in the index after Bolivia and Seychelles.

Norway topped the index overall for policies aimed at reducing inequality, followed by Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Denmark and New Zealand.

Agencies