Economic mobility across generations around the world

If you are born into a low-income family, what are the chances that you will rise higher regardless of your background? The ability to move up the income ladder, both in one’s lifetime and with respect to one’s parents, matters for fighting poverty, reducing inequality, and even for boosting growth. With too many people still closely tied to their parents’ social status rather than their own potential, promoting mobility can also foster social cohesion and stability.

On May 10, the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings co-hosted a presentation of the findings of the World Bank’s report “Fair Progress? Economic Mobility Across Generations Around the World.” The report compiles a wealth of global data spanning the last 50 years to draw a global picture and highlight pathways to a more mobile society. Following the presentation, panelists will discuss insights from the new data and debate the local, national, and global actions required to help break the cycle of unequal opportunities, low mobility, and entrenched poverty.