Wednesday 16 June 2010

Overseas Aid

[This footnote relates to Chapter 6 of The Spirit Level Delusion]


Since The Spirit Level Delusion was published, I have come across the Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances (2009) which provides overseas aid figures for 22 countries. Crucially, this index combines state aid with private donations. Shown as a percentage of gross national income, it is clear that more equal countries are neither more nor less generous to the developing world than the less equal countries. Wilkinson and Pickett are only able to argue otherwise by ignoring all private donations.