The Gini Coefficient Is Lying to You

Most people think the Gini coefficient tells you everything about inequality. It doesn’t. In this episode of The Inequality Puzzle, we uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the Gini, explain why it can hide the biggest wealth gaps, and explore other essential tools for measuring inequality — from top income shares to multidimensional indicators. We’ll break down: Why measurement choices shape the public debate and policy. How percentile ratios, Theil index, and top 1% shares reveal hidden trends. Why data sources like tax records and household surveys tell different stories. The critical difference between relative and absolute inequality. Why multidimensional measures matter for understanding opportunity gaps. If you want to truly understand inequality — and how to track it — this episode is your roadmap. Watch now to learn how better measurement can lead to better solutions. 📌 This is Episode 2 of our 10-part series on global inequality: “The Inequality Puzzle”