Oxfam analysis finds Peru’s richest captured 42 percent of all new wealth

Only 1.4 percent of all new wealth created between 2019 and 2025 went to the poorest 50 percent of the population, report finds. Save Share The top 1 percent in Peru captured 42 percent of all new wealth generated between 2019 and 2025, an analysis by the nonprofit group Oxfam has found. The report, released on Tuesday, highlights growing inequality in the South American country and raises questions about how the government is addressing deepening social divisions. “Economic inequality in Peru has remained stubbornly high for decades. And when people feel that the same people always win, that nothing changes and nothing can change, inequality starts to look less like an injustice and more like the natural order of things,” said Alejandra Alayza, the executive director of Oxfam in Peru. “That is a dangerous kind of fatalism, and we must tear it down.” The nonprofit told Al Jazeera in an email that the 42 percent figure represents an increase from the 2000 to 2019 period, when the top 1 percent captured about 39 percent of all new wealth. Just 1.4 percent of new wealth from 2019 to 2025 went to the poorest 50 percent of the country’s population, according to the group. Experts warn the trend bodes poorly for public faith in government anddemocratic institutions. Oxfam worked with the Institute for Peruvian Studies, a think tank in Lima, to publish a report this month on Peruvians’ perceptions of inequality in their country. The groups found that 84 percent of Peruvians believed their country is governed by powerful interests that shape politics to their benefit. More than 75 percent also said that wealthy corporations and individuals avoid paying their fair share of taxes. The survey also suggested that public opinion was in favour of action to address the issue. About 70 percent of respondents said they want the government to do more to reduce inequality, which a majority felt had limited access to services such as healthcare, employment, education and justice. “The undeniable scale of public support for action to reduce inequality leaves no room for complacency,” Alayza said. “Inequality is not a force of nature; it is made by political choices. And different choices can build a different Peru.” Peru’s rising inequality has been accompanied by a period of political turmoil, particularly in the presidential palace. A stream of probes, scandals andimpeachmentshas led to Peru being governed by ninepresidentsin the last 10 years....