Inequality Round the World: Dumbbell or Emerging Middle? (The Economist)

From the Article:

We identify a persistent global structure of two relatively homogeneous clusters, the poor or insecure and the prosperous or secure – a dumb-bell shape. True, we also detect the emergence of a rapidly changing and heterogeneous new global middle class. So does that mean the old dumb-bell world of two clusters is breaking down? We are not convinced that it is. It turns out that most of the change in the distribution of global consumption is confined to upper middle-income countries, those with an income per head of between approximately $4,000 and $12,000 a year; the category includes China and Brazil for example and soon Indonesia may join, too.

Read it Here.