Governments across the world chose policies that deepened economic inequality after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.
Analysis by the nonprofits Oxfam and Development Finance International found that of the 161 countries surveyed, almost all either froze or lowered taxes on their richest citizens, while close to half slashed the share of their budgets that went toward social measures between 2020 and 2022.
The research, which was published on Tuesday, comes as policymakers grapple with the fallout from the pandemic, war in Ukraine and climate change, which together have fueled inflation and raised the specter of recession.
