The more unequal a society is, the more ill health and social problems it has. Inequality increases status insecurity and competition and the prevalence of all the problems associated with relative deprivation. And although the amount of inequality has its greatest effect on rates of problems among the poor, its influence extends to almost all income groups. A look at the subject by the author of one of the most influential books of recent years.
Richard Wilkinson is a professor emeritus of Social Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham Medical School, as well as an honorary professor at UCL and a visiting professor at the University of York. He co-wrote The Spirit Level with Kate Pickett and is a co-founder of The Equality Trust.
