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Graphic Truth: The Bootstrap Index

Graphic Truth: The Bootstrap Index

One way to measure inequality is to look at how easy it is for those at the bottom of the social ladder to climb their way up—to, as we would say in the US, “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” A new report from the OECD does just that, identifying the number of generations it would take those born into low-income families to approach the average income in their society. Here’s a look at how 15 countries stack up.

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​Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks at the lower house of Parliament, ahead of a European Union leaders' summit, in Rome, Italy, December 17, 2025.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaks at the lower house of Parliament, ahead of a European Union leaders' summit, in Rome, Italy, December 17, 2025.

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Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks with China's President Xi Jinping.

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REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
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​Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council during a rally in Aden, Yemen, on December 30, 2025.

Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the United Arab Emirates and of the STC, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, on December 30, 2025.

REUTERS/Fawaz Salman
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