3.a. The distribution of resources, wealth, and opportunities are not evenly spread within and between places

The concept of social inequality and how this can be measured through indices such as housing, healthcare, education, employment and access to services. -- How and why spatial patterns of social inequalities vary both within and between places.

What is social inequality

The unequal distribution of factors such as income, education, and health across a population

Quality of life

The extent to which people's needs and desires are met i.e. human rights

 

Standard of living

The ability to access goods and services like food, water, clothing, housing

A higher standard of living doesn’t always equal a higher quality of life

• e.g. having a higher income gives people greater choice in housing and education but a higher income doesn’t always lead to improved quality of life

• For example longer hours at work, migration away from family

Political indicators of QOL/SOL

Opportunities to participate in community life and influence decisions

Social indicators of QOL/SOL

• Percentage on state benefits

• Fear of crime

• Percentage on free school meals

• Percentage in poor health

• Standards of education

Physical indicators of QOL/SOL

• Quality of housing

• Level of pollution

• Litter

• Graffiti

• Vandalism

Economic indicators of QOL/SOL

• Access to leisure services

• Access to employment

• Level of income

• Percentage of single-parent families

• Percentage of lone pensioners

What is deprivation

• When quality of life and standard of living are low

• General lack of resources and opportunities, not just not having enough money

Index of Multiple deprivation

• The IMD assesses relative levels of deprivation through 7 factors

• Identifies most and least deprived areas

How wealth influences patterns of social inequality in LIDCs

• Low incomes may lead to poor diet, education, skills, and poverty cycle

• LIDCs are more likely to have corrupt governments, increasing the likelihood or wealth being accumulated by those in power rather than reinvested in the economy

• LIDCs focus on selling raw materials which have low value, resulting in high national debt and potential trade deficit

How wealth influences patterns of social inequality in EDCs

• There is increasing wealth for some but not evenly spread

• Wealth is concentrated among the elite, who have access to global markets, while the broader population may struggle

• There is a big wealth gap between urban and rural areas as industrialisation only benefits the cities

How wealth influences patterns of social inequality in ACs

• Cost of living is high so some struggle to afford basics  

• Immigrants to ACs may spend some of their income to send back to their home country (remittances), reducing their individual wealth

• Wealthy individuals in Acs advocate for lower taxes, reducing public investment in services, to protect their own wealth

• A lot of wealthy people in Acs rely on inheritance for their wealth

How housing influences patterns of social inequality in LIDCs

• Millions of people have little choice but to live in squatter settlements

• There are lots of risks associated with living in squatter settlements (see EDCs column)

• With a lack of drinking water, disease spreads more easily

• In rural areas of LIDCs there is no electricity, meaning people are forced to work manual jobs, deteriorating their physical health and not allowing them to progress up the economic ladder

How housing influences patterns of social inequality in EDCs

• Millions of people live in squatter settlements because countries have experienced rapid urbanisation and don't have enough time or resources to build new homes

• Living in squatter settlements increases chance of disease to be spread

• Those living in squatter settlements often work in the informal sector which doesn’t allow them to progress to a more high-skilled job because the wages are low and irregular

• Squatter settlements are often in areas vulnerable to natural hazards like mudslides

• Wealth in EDCs is highly concentrated; for example in Nigeria, 70% of Lagosians live in slums, while the richest man in Africa resides in the high-security neighbourhood of Banana Island not too far away. There are lots of gated communities like this in Acs, creating pockets of richness and leaving those who want to progress stuck

How housing influences patterns of social inequality in ACs

• In ACs, homelessness is a big problem. In city centres people may sleep on the streets or squat in derelict buildings

• In ACs, the cost of housing inflates at a faster rate than wages and other prices, meaning those with low incomes can find themselves excluded from the housing market

• In the UK the rise of second-homes in rural areas means that wealthy people migrate into small towns in the countryside, pushing out locals and raising property prices

• High housing costs leads to spatial segregation, where high-income households live near good jobs, schools, green areas, and those with lower-incomes are forced to live in less desirable areas with little opportunity

How health influences patterns of social inequality in LIDCs

• There is more disease in LIDCs as a result of poor sanitation

• This allows diseases like cholera to spread, due to lack of clean water

• In LIDCs, low-skilled work is most common; for example, working in the primary sector

• This means there are less healthcare workers. e.g. Liberia only has 14 physicians per million people

• The few trained doctors that can treat people in LIDCs emigrate to more developed countries where they can get paid higher

How health influences patterns of social inequality in EDCs

• EDCs have big gaps between the rich and poor because there is uneven development

• Urban residents have better access to healthcare, whereas rural populations may suffer from a lack of infrastructure

• Healthcare is becoming more digital, which works for the wealthier but leaves behind the poorest parts of EDCs

How health influences patterns of social inequality in ACs

• In Acs there is better healthcare services compared to other countries, but often a big gap between the rich and poor

• For example in the UK  life expectancy differs by 10 years in the richest versus poorest area

• Working age, low income citizens of ACs are likely to be affected by alcoholism and drugs as these are easy to access in advanced countries

• In deprived areas, people usually wait until they need urgent care before going to hospital, because hospitals are far away or GPs are expensive etc, resulting in an overloaded A&E in these areas

How education influences patterns of social inequality in LIDCs

• The literacy rate in LIDCs is only 66%

• This traps people in manual labour jobs, keeping them stuck in the cycle of poverty, as they haven't got the skills to move out of the primary sector

• Education is expensive, preventing poor families from attending

• There is a big gender gap: in LIDCs only 20% of the poorest girls complete primary education

How education influences patterns of social inequality in EDCs

• In EDCs, rapid economic developments means that education is the best way to move from the primary sector to the secondary or tertiary sectors

• Urban areas receive more resources and have better schools, which means rural populations do not benefit from EDCs developing

• Girls in EDCs are not as educated as their male peers

How education influences patterns of social inequality in ACs

• In ACs, rich parents can send their kids to private schools, allowing them to get a ''better'' education

• In England children eligible for free school meals perform 28% worse than their peers

• In 2025, only 43% of free school meal-eligible children achieved a pass in English and Maths

How access to services influences patterns of social inequality in LIDCs

• LIDCs lack basic services like drinking water

• There is limited access to health clinics and schools, resulting in lower life expectancy and lower literacy rates

• A lot of LIDCs are in national debt, meaning the government does not invest in public services

How access to services influences patterns of social inequality in EDCs

• as EDCs experience rapid urbanisation, the demand for services often outstrips supply

• Urban populations have superior access to infrastructure, education, and healthcare, compared to rural

• Wealthy people often opt out of public services and go through the private route e.g. in healthcare, lowering the investment in public services

• Squatter settlements have little access to services like electricity, drinking water, road networks, schools

How access to services influences patterns of social inequality in ACs

• In ACs quality of services vastly changes depending on location

• Residents in wealth and central areas have better hospitals and schools, whereas those in rural or declining regions face underfunded services

• Poorer areas have fewer GPs and longer A&E waiting times, meaning they don't get the care they ned

• Lack of transport in certain areas exacerbates inequality - for example the North/south divide in the UK

How can employment be used to measure social inequality?

Employment rates, unemployment, job security, occupational type and wages can reveal differences in economic opportunities between groups and places.

How does employment inequality vary between LIDCs, EDCs and ACs?

LIDCs have more low-skilled primary-sector and informal employment. EDCs experience a shift towards secondary and tertiary employment but inequalities remain between urban and rural areas. ACs have more high-skilled tertiary and quaternary employment, but deprived areas may have higher unemployment and lower-paid work.

How do spatial patterns of social inequality vary between places?

Inequality varies between LIDCs, EDCs and ACs because of differences in economic development, wealth, infrastructure, governance and access to resources and opportunities.

How do spatial patterns of social inequality vary within places?

Inequality can exist between urban and rural areas, wealthy and deprived neighbourhoods, and different social groups. For example, EDCs often have better services in cities than rural areas, while ACs can have wealthy neighbourhoods with excellent services alongside deprived areas with poorer housing, healthcare and employment.