Inequality, poverty, deprivation and the uneven spread of COVID-19 in Europe
Chiara Burlina, Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose
Abstract
COVID-19 is mostly considered to have ravaged places with high levels of inequality and poverty. Yet, in the case of Europe, the evidence for this is limited. In this paper we address this gap in our knowledge by exploring how regional variations in poverty, wealth and interpersonal inequality have shaped COVID-19-related excess mortality. The results show that during the first 18 months of the pandemic there is no link between inequality and poverty, on the one hand, and the lethality of the disease, on the other. The geographical concentration of wealthy people is related to more, not less, excess mortality.
Topics & Concepts
PovertyInequalityCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Development economicsDemographic economicsPandemicEconomicsGeographyEconomic growthDiseaseMedicineMathematical analysisMathematicsInfectious disease (medical specialty)PathologyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesCOVID-19 Pandemic ImpactsCOVID-19 impact on air quality