Book

An anatomy of inclusive growth in Europe

This Blueprint offers an in-depth analysis of inequalities of income and wealth in the EU, as well as their causes and consequences.

Publishing date: 27 October 2016
Authors: Zsolt Darvas Guntram B. Wolff

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Read the Working Paper 'Some are more equal than others: new estimates of global and regional inequality'.

Access the dataset 'Global and regional Gini coefficients'.

Key findings

Contrary to many perceptions, income inequality in the EU has fallen over the past two decades. In the EU as a whole, and in most EU members, absolute poverty is rare and income inequality is low. Strong welfare states have offered protection against inequality.

However, income inequality has in some cases increased, measured on a country-by-country basis. Unemployment remains high in a number of member states, while the intergenerational divide between the young and the old has widened. Social mobility is weak, in particular in the more unequal economies of southern Europe, limiting opportunities for the children of poor and disadvantaged families.

High inequality can fuel political disenchantment, and may have played a part in the Brexit vote. High inequality and poverty can boost protest votes in referenda and elections.

Technological change and robotisation will not necessarily increase inequality. However, many routine physical and cognitive tasks will be automated, and workers will need creative and social skills.

The link between education and income is weaker in Europe than the USA. In most EU countries, the "skills premium" associated with higher levels of education is falling. However, there is a strong link between family wealth and children's educational attainment - especially in more unequal countries.

It is national governments, not the EU, who can plausibly act. Inclusive growth needs to be at the top of the policy agenda, but relevant powers in welfare and education are largely at national level.

Financial support from the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth is gratefully acknowledged.

About the authors

Zsolt Darvas

Zsolt Darvas, a Hungarian citizen, joined Bruegel as a Visiting Fellow in September 2008 and continued his work at Bruegel as a Research Fellow from January 2009, before being appointed Senior Fellow from September 2013. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Corvinus University of Budapest.

From 2005 to 2008, he was the Research Advisor of the Argenta Financial Research Group in Budapest. Before that, he worked at the research unit of the Central Bank of Hungary (1994-2005) where he served as Deputy Head.

Zsolt holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Corvinus University of Budapest where he teaches courses in Econometrics but also at other institutions since 1994. His research interests include macroeconomics, international economics, central banking and time series analysis.
Guntram B. Wolff

Guntram Wolff was the Director of Bruegel. Over his career, he has contributed to research on European political economy and governance, fiscal, monetary and financial policy, climate change and geoeconomics. Under his leadership, Bruegel has been regularly ranked among the top global think tanks and has grown in influence and impact with a team of now almost 40 recognized scholars and around 65 total staff. Bruegel is also recognized for its outstanding transparency.

A recognized thought leader and academic, he regularly testifies at the European Finance Ministers' ECOFIN meeting, the European Parliament, the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the French Parliament (Assemblée Nationale). From 2012-16, he was a member of the French prime minister's Conseil d'Analyse Economique. In 2018, then IMF managing director Christine Lagarde appointed him to the external advisory group on surveillance to review the Fund’s priorities. In 2021, he was appointed to the G20 high level independent panel on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. He is also a professor (part-time) at the Solvay Brussels School of Université Libre de Bruxelles, where he teaches economics of European integration.

He joined Bruegel from the European Commission, where he worked on the macroeconomics of the euro area and the reform of euro area governance. Prior to joining the Commission, he was coordinating the research team on fiscal policy at Deutsche Bundesbank. He also worked as an external adviser to the International Monetary Fund.

He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Bonn and studied in Bonn, Toulouse, Pittsburgh and Passau. He taught economics at the University of Pittsburgh and at Université libre de Bruxelles. He has published numerous papers in leading academic journals. His columns and policy work are published and cited in leading international media and policy outlets. Guntram is fluent in German, English, French and has good notions of Bulgarian and Spanish.