America Is Even More Unequal than It Seems

inequality.org — We all know that the United States is the most unequal of the rich nations of the world.  Only relatively poor countries like Malaysia and Mexico have levels of inequality similar to those in the United States.  All of the rich countries of western Europe and east Asia have much lower levels of inequality than we do. The real situation, however, is worse than the income data would suggest.  Data on income inequality only tell half the story.  The differences in the ways people live are only partly determined by income.  They’re also determined by the levels of government services provided to everyone. This is most obvious when it comes to healthcare.  In the rest of the developed world, everyone has health insurance.  Depending how you count, about a quarter of working-age Americans don’t.  Real inequalities in health coverage are even greater, since the richest Americans tend to have the best insurance.

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