Progressive taxation

Despite the recent spate of economic growth, Africa remains afflicted by entrenched poverty and alarmingly high and rising inequality. This paper uses the Reducing Inequality Index (CRI) developed by Oxfam and Development Finance to produce a ranking of African countries on their policies to reduce the gap between rich and poor.

Today, inequality has reached extreme levels in the West Africa region. While a small but growing group of people becomes fantastically rich, a majority of citizens are denied the most essential elements of a dignified life like access to quality education, healthcare and decent jobs.Yet, West Africa’s governments are the least committed to reducing inequality than all other regions in Africa.

Oxfam’s Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index shows that governments in West Africa are the least committed to reducing inequality of any on the continent. If they do not radically increase their commitment to reducing inequality, the crisis is likely to worsen.

This second edition of the Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index is based on a new database of indicators, now covering 157 countries, which measures government action on social spending, tax and labour rights – three areas found to be critical to reducing the inequality gap.

Extreme inequality is out of control in Kenya. Less than 0.1% of the population (8,300 people) own more wealth than the bottom 99.9% (more than 44 million people). Tackling inequality could help to lift millions out of poverty, secure sustainable economic growth and bring the country together.

Development Finance International and Oxfam have produced the first index to measure the commitment of governments to reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.