The study, titled “An Unequal Future: Asia’s Struggle for Justice in a Warming, Wired World” and released on Wednesday, found that the richest 10 per cent of Asians took between 60 and 77 per cent of national income, while the poorest half received only 12 to 15 per cent.
In 2023, the top 10 per cent captured 58 per cent of income in India, 52 per cent in Thailand, 46 per cent in Indonesia, and 43 per cent in both Vietnam and China.
The report notes that the richest 1 per cent hold 40.1 per cent of national wealth in India and 31.4 per cent in China.
Oxfam, a global non-profit that campaigns against poverty and inequality, said these imbalances were reinforced by “weak progressive taxation, high debt-service burdens, and governance transparency gaps”, which diverted resources away from social spending and deepened inequality.
