A better world is possible - Global Commons Institute

Copyright Bruce Nixon 2010. All rights reserved. This electronic copy is provided free for personal, non-commercial use only.
www.brucenixon.com
In wealthy nations US, Portugal and UK the richest fifth are respectively 8.5, 8.0 and 7.2 times
richer than the poorest.
Japan, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark have the lowest gaps – 3.4, 3.7, 3.9, 4.0 and 4.3.
Combined social problem scores are highest in US, Portugal and UK and amongst the lowest in
Japan, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Netherlands and Switzerland.
The British inequality index, starting at 100 in 1974, rose to 140 by 2006, more rapidly than
elsewhere in Europe or the developed world.
The gap, measured by this index, fell in UK during the seventies, rose most in the Thatcher’s time
from 1979 up to a peak of 136 in 1991 under Major, under New Labour , it rose to 140.
Mental illness is about 3 times higher in the most unequal societies; 8 times more prisoners; the
percentage of obesity is over twice as high in unequal countries; teen pregnancies are up to 10
times higher in more polarised countries, USA by far the highest, then UK; death rates for working
men of all classes are higher.
Literacy scores are higher for everyone in more equal countries
Sources: Guardian, Friday 13 th March 2009 pp20-21.and Spirit Level – why more equal societies
almost always do better, Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, Allen Lane, 2009.
Around the world, people have grown happier during the past 25 years, according to the most recent World
Values Survey, an assessment of happiness in 97 nations. On average, people describing themselves as “very
happy” have increased by nearly 7 per cent. However Americans, now twice as rich as they were in 1950, are
no happier according to the survey. Other rich countries, the United Kingdom and western Germany among
them, show downward happiness trends. Happiness appears to be associated with improved economies,
greater democratisation and increased social tolerance. Material stability and freedom to live as one pleases
are major factors in subjective well-being. It is not associated with high consumption or materialistic values.
It is well-being that counts. According to the New Economics Foundation (NEF) Happy Planet Index, the G8
countries generally score badly in the Happy Planet Index: The UK comes 108th. Italy is 66th, Germany 81 st ,
Japan 95th, Canada 111th, France 129th, United States 150th and Russia 172nd. El Salvador ranks in the top
10 countries in the world in this index. Central America is the region with the highest scores. Amongst
European nations, the UK is 13 th out of 22.
UK Wellbeing
87% think today is “too materialistic, with too much emphasis on money and not enough on things
that really matter”
UK is hugely inefficient in converting planetary resources into wellbeing
62% in UK have jobs they find too stressful or uninteresting
Levels of trust have halved since the 50s
Mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression, causes about 40% of incapacity claims
Someone consuming at the rate of one-planet living is just as likely to have high life satisfaction as
someone over-consuming at seven-planet living rate
Source – Happy Planet Index, New Economics Foundation (nef)
These findings demonstrate that system blindness is the problem. New Labour was unlikely to achieve their
aims. Throwing billions at social problems in an unequal society does not address the root cause – see Ch 6.
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