This article relates to Goal 10: Reduced inequalities, one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Goal icon by the United Nations. Emberoot is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the UN.
Inequality looks different in each region, and so do the responses. Some countries focus on cash transfers to the poorest households, others on pay rules, social insurance or cheaper ways for migrants to send money. This look at SDG 10 around the world uses UN and World Bank data and country examples, including India and the UAE.
SDG 10 around the world: the regional picture
The UN SDG Report 2026 tracks whether incomes of the poorest 40% grow faster than average. Since 2015 this happened in 73% of countries in East and South-East Asia with data, but in only 38% in Central and South Asia. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 19% of people lived below half the median income after the pandemic.
The World Bank counted 49 economies with a Gini index above 40 in 2024. More than 80% of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are above that threshold, with Brazil and Colombia among the most unequal, and inequality in sub-Saharan Africa is highest in the southern, central and eastern subregions.
India: payments, remittances and cost
India received an estimated $129 billion in remittances in 2024, the most of any country, ahead of Mexico at $68 billion, according to the World Bank. South Asia was the cheapest region to send money to in early 2025, though costs rose from 4.80% in the first quarter of 2025 to 5.30% in the third, according to the World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide report. That is still above the 3% target.
At home, India’s UPI handled 23.66 billion transactions in July 2026, according to the Government of India, giving small traders and households a low-cost way to pay and be paid. The UN’s figures for Central and South Asia show the remaining task: fewer countries in the region have seen the poorest 40% pull ahead.
United Arab Emirates: insurance that covers residents
UPI payments from India are live in the UAE, which links the two economies closely. The UAE’s unemployment insurance scheme is mandatory for both Emiratis and residents working in the federal government and private sector, and pays 60% of the insured salary for up to three months after job loss. Domestic workers, business owners, people on temporary contracts and under-18s are excluded. Covering residents as well as citizens means the scheme reaches people who moved to the UAE for work.
Brazil: targeted cash transfers
Brazil’s Bolsa Familia pays families whose monthly income is up to R$218 per person, according to the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance. Cash transfers like this sit under target 10.4 on social protection. Brazil remains one of the most unequal countries in the World Bank’s data, which shows how long the work takes.
European Union: pay transparency
EU member states had to bring the Pay Transparency Directive into national law by 7 June 2026. It gives job applicants a right to pay information, bans questions about pay history and requires gender pay gap reporting by larger employers from 2027. It is one of the most direct legal responses to target 10.3 on equal opportunity.
Migration routes: the human cost
Target 10.7 calls for safe, orderly migration. The International Organization for Migration recorded 2024 as the deadliest year on record for migrants, and the UN SDG Report 2026 gives the updated figure as 9,197 deaths and disappearances that year, with at least 7,900 in 2025. Asia and the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes to the Canary Islands accounted for the largest numbers in 2025.
What the comparisons show
Countries reduce inequality with a mix of tools: social protection, labour law, cheaper financial services and safer migration routes. The International Labour Organization reports that more than half the world’s people now have some social protection, yet 3.8 billion remain entirely unprotected. For a business working across markets, these differences affect hiring rules, payroll, payments and how products are priced. Our strategy and go-to-market work considers them when planning entry into new markets. See the SDG 10 goal page and the Global Goals hub for more.
Frequently asked questions
Which region has the highest inequality?
By the World Bank Gini measure, Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa have the most high-inequality economies. More than 80% of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have a Gini index above 40. The UN also reports that 19% of people in that region lived below half the median income after the pandemic.
How does SDG 10 relate to India?
India is the world’s largest recipient of remittances, with an estimated $129 billion in 2024 according to the World Bank, so the cost of sending money home matters greatly. Its UPI system has made digital payments cheap and common. In its wider region, fewer countries saw the poorest 40% grow faster than average.
What has the UAE done on inequality?
The UAE’s unemployment insurance scheme is mandatory for both Emiratis and residents in federal government and private-sector jobs, paying 60% of the insured salary for up to three months after job loss. Some groups, such as domestic workers and business owners, are excluded.