Economic inequality is a broad-ranging issue, and people have different opinions about which factors contribute to it. For example, some believe that gender and race bias contribute to the gap because men earn more than women in similar jobs, while white workers receive higher wages than non-white ones. Others point to the increasing number of job losses to automation, which drives down middle-class wages while driving up those of highly educated employees who can take advantage of new technologies and skill requirements. Policymakers’ continuing failure to make unions a priority and their favoring of large corporations are also seen as important causes of rising income inequality.
In nearly all countries surveyed, majorities say that at least some of the six factors we asked about contribute to economic inequality. However, some countries differ significantly in which of these they believe contributes the most to inequality. In 31 of 36 nations surveyed, more people say that problems with their country’s education system lead to economic inequality than any other factor. A median of 48% of adults say this is a factor that contributes a great deal to inequality.
Many people also believe that the rich having too much political influence leads to economic inequality. In 14 of the 30 nations surveyed, more than half say this is a factor that contributes to inequality. In many of these countries, those on the ideological left are more likely than those on the right to say this is a major contributor.