Development and inequality: A long-run view

Abstract

We provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the drivers of long-run development and inequality, and new datasets for their study. Three distinct elements emerge in the 10 articles of this special issue that broadly characterize the field. First, development should be understood from a multidimensional perspective and when considering long-run patterns a wide array of indicators must be used, ranging from material living standards to health, education, and gender. Second, the construction of widely used development metrics has to be critically reviewed to arrive at more accurate narratives of how the world developed. Third, the drivers of development and global inequalities are best analyzed and understood from a long-term perspective. Some sweeping trends with major consequences for countries and regions alike took many years to unfold, such as the emergence of the modern state, or the implementation of large-scale education reforms. In sum, this special issue shows that global inequalities are the result of long-term persistent forces that have operated through periods of decades (and centuries), involving institutional change, demographic processes, and cultural persistence (among others). A better understanding of patterns and explanatory factors of development over the long term is key to tackle current-day challenges for development and inequality.