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Chart3. Income Distribution in Three Countries for
Percentage of Households

Exploring Chart 3

Test Yourself
Share of income
  Richest 20% Middle 60% Poorest 20%
Tanzania 45.4% 47.7% 6.9%
Morocco 46.3% 47.1% 6.6%
United Kingdom 40.8% 51.6% 7.6%

1. Chart 3 shows the percentage of GNP earned by the richest 20%, middle 60% and poorest 20% of a low-income, middle-income, and high-income country (actual percentages are given in the table above).

  1. Compare the portion of GNP earned by the poorest 20% of each of the countries. How much difference is there between the countries?
  2. In which country does the "middle class" get the largest percentage of income? How does this compare with the other two countries?
  3. In which country does the wealthiest class receive the largest percentage of income? How does this compare with the other two countries?
  4. Make a statement that describes the patterns of income distribution in these three countries.

2. Since national income tends to be closely related to quality of life indicators, what patterns would you expect to see in life expectancies, literacy rates, and access to safe water and sanitation among rich and poor people within nations?

3. Look at Chart 3.1 to see the actual average per capita incomes for the richest, middle, and poorest groups of people in these three countries.

  1. How does the average per capita income of the richest 20% of Tanzania compare with that of the poorest 20% of Morocco?
  2. How does the average per capita income of the richest 20% of Morocco compare with that of the poorest 20% of the United Kingdom?
  3. Based solely on average per capita income, it would appear that everyone, even the poor in the United Kingdom would have a better standard of living than people in Morocco or Tanzania. What factors would change that?

Answers


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