The rich have become richer and the poor have become poorer over the past decades.

Error detected

The claim that 'the poor have become poorer' is not supported in absolute terms: Eurostat's at-risk-of-poverty rate fell to 14.1% in 2024, the Gini coefficient reached a new low of 29.4, and the World Inequality Database shows the bottom 50% income share has trended upward since the 2008 financial crisis.

Omissions

• The claim presents a unidirectional narrative that omits recent improvements: Eurostat data shows the Gini coefficient hit a new low of 29.4 in 2024, indicating narrowing income inequality in recent years.
• The at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU fell from 16.5% in 2019 to 14.1% in 2024, contradicting the assertion that the poor have become poorer in absolute terms.
• The WID data covers 'Europe' broadly, not strictly the EU, and the specific 'past decades' period is not defined by the speaker.
• The speaker cites no source, and the claim conflates relative inequality trends (rising top shares) with absolute impoverishment of the poor, which is not supported by the evidence.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat Statistics ExplainedIn 2024, the Gini coefficient for the EU was 29.4, a new low. The at-risk-of-poverty rate anchored to 2019 decreased across the EU, reaching 14.1% in 2024, compared to 16.5% in 2019.
• PrimaryWorld Inequality Lab — Inequality Trends in Europe (Issue Brief 2022-04)The top 10% income share has hovered close to 36% since the financial crisis, while the bottom 50% share has trended upward, but it has still to reach the pre-2008 level. Top 10% pre-tax income share rose from approximately 31% in 1980 to around 36% in 2022.
• SecondaryStatista (citing WID / World Inequality Database)As of 2024, the Gini coefficient in the EU and Eurozone has hit a new low, with values of 29.4 and 29.9 respectively. Top 10% pre-tax share of income in Europe: 31% in 1980, 36.18% in 2024. Top 10% share of total wealth: 58% in 1995, 60% in 2023.