Wealth Distribution

¿How many of the world's richest people does it take to equal the wealth of the world's poorest 3.5 billion (roughly half the world's population)?

View fullsize

1. What the heck?

2. How far off was your prediction?

3. By the way, 3.5 billion minus 85 = 3,499,999,915

4. What story does this chart tell?

5. How could this be? Why is there such a disparity between the rich an the poor?

6. Are you more likely to know one of the 85 richest or one of the 3.5 billion poorest people in the world?

7. What is a consequence of this huge disparity?

8. How many of the 100 squares do you think the US gets?*

9. In the comments section below, without cursing or threatening violence, write what you think the poorest 3.5 billion people would say to the richest 85 people if they could directly speak to them:

*Answer: the US is worth approximately 22 squares, although our population is only worth about 2 squares.

---

Action Extension

Read about the UN Millennium Goals to eliminate extreme poverty & close the gap between the rich and poor. Download the grid of 100 squares

and fill it in as you wish the world actually looked in terms of distribution of wealth between the rich and poor.