Albania ranks among the countries with the lowest transparency on economic inequality, according to the Inequality Transparency Index (ITI), a global measurement published by the World Inequality Lab in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.
The latest map shows that our country is part of the group of countries that publish little or no complete data on the real distribution of income and wealth, making it difficult to understand the true inequality in society.
The ITI index measures transparency from 0 to 20 points, assessing the quality, frequency, and accessibility of data on income and wealth.
Albania appears in the lower categories of the index, alongside other Balkan and African countries, while Northern Europe and several developed countries rank with the highest transparency.
No country in the world has yet achieved the maximum score, which shows that the lack of data on inequality is a global problem, but more pronounced in developing countries.
The report comes at a time when economic inequality is deepening. Although the world has become much wealthier over the past two centuries, the benefits of economic growth have been unevenly distributed.
Average global incomes have increased significantly, but a very large share of wealth and income is concentrated in the hands of a small minority, while millions of people continue to live with limited economic opportunities.
According to the World Inequality Lab, a lack of transparency creates a breeding ground for misinformation and ineffective policies. When data on income and wealth are not regularly published or are not publicly accessible, debates about inequality risk being based on assumptions rather than facts. The ITI Index aims to put pressure on governments to publish the data they have, combining household surveys with administrative tax data./Monitor
