Global inequalities

The University of Manchester is advancing our understanding of the world in which we live, addressing inequalities to improve lives.

There are pronounced inequalities across the world, within individual countries, and in our own city of Manchester. While progress has been made on some aspects of inequality, it’s still the case that food, healthcare, infrastructure and resources are plentiful in some areas, yet scarce in others. Far too many households struggle with low income and poor job prospects.

Across the world, men and women’s opportunities, experiences, their potential and their quality of life are shaped by unequal treatment, prejudice and discrimination due to their personal characteristics or family background.

As we have done for almost two centuries, The University of Manchester is leading the way in addressing all aspects of inequality, from poverty to social justice, from living conditions to equality in the workplace. Bringing together some of the best academic minds in applied medicine, business, law, social sciences and the arts, we’re meeting these challenges head on, creating and sharing knowledge to understand our world and directly change it for the better.

Global inequalities: Research breakthroughs

Investigating inequality

Our experts focus on inequalities between people, between places, and the capacity to participate and prosper in society.

We not only examine the causes and impacts of these inequalities but also identify practices that will achieve a fairer world.

Discover more about our current inequality research projects.

Institutes, Centres and networks

Research on global inequalities spans across all three of our Faculties at The University of Manchester, drawing on technical expertise from the Faculty of Science and Engineering in initiatives such as FutureDAMS, insights on health and social care from the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, and in-depth analysis of societies environments and cultures from the Faculty of Humanities.

Learn more about our dedicated Institutes, Centres and Networks which foster world leading interdisciplinary research into making our city, our region, our nation, and our world a fairer and more equal place to live.

Explore our Institutes, Centres and networks

Global challenges, Manchester solutions

Inclusive growth

Global challenge

Economic growth is pursued by every nation around the globe, but the benefits of increasing prosperity are unevenly distributed. This imbalance leads to social and economic inequalities.

Manchester solution

The Inclusive Growth Analysis Unit is an independent analytic resource to help make poverty reduction central to processes of economic growth and devolution in Greater Manchester, and to provide research, analysis and insight on inclusive growth in other UK cities.

Everyday peace indicators

Global challenge

When peace-building projects report success at a national level, on-the-ground research may tell different stories of human rights abuses, militarised governments and inter-group conflict. Local communities – best placed to identify changes in their own circumstances – are often overlooked.

Manchester solution

The Humanitarian Conflict and Response Institute (HCRI) has asked community members in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Sudan to identify their own measures of peace. Researchers take these ‘everyday peace indicators’ and test them within their wider community, repeating the exercise to measure change over time. The indicators chosen – such as business owners painting their storefronts – help reveal community priorities and therefore their confidence in peace.

Chronic poverty

Global challenge

Every single day, 19,000 children die of easily preventable causes. Traditional development aid projects are not sufficient to tackle the scale of the problem.

Manchester solution

Research at the Global Development Institute has shown direct anti-poverty transfers to be a practical, politically sustainable and financially feasible means to address extreme and chronic poverty in low- and middleincome countries. Our findings have shaped development policy, influenced national governments and informed practice in several countries, including Uganda and Bangladesh.

Sustainable Development Goals

Global challenge

The challenges of poverty, hunger, health, climate change, education, sustainability and inequality are being faced in every nation across the world.

Manchester solution

University of Manchester research addresses the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Whether it’s addressing microplastics in rivers, food insecurity or building climate-resilient cities, our research is focused on developing a sustainable future.

Business and human rights

Global challenge

Businesses are increasingly seen as having a direct responsibility to respect human rights in their activities and operations, regardless of the context in which they operate.

Manchester solution

The Business and Human Rights Network defines the challenges of business to respect human rights, engages key actors, and informs the academic, social and political debate, helping to shape future policy and corporate practice. Key themes being explored by the network include investment, modern-day slavery and gender equality in global value chains.

Age-friendly cities

Global challenge

By 2030, 60% of the global population will live in cities, with at least 25% of city dwellers aged 60 or over. The needs of this age group will become increasingly significant in social and public policy.

Manchester solution

Our researchers trained a group of 18 older residents, aged between 58 and 74, to help us with our research. These co-researchers then conducted 68 interviews across South Manchester with older people who were experiencing social exclusion, isolation, poverty or health problems. Interviews focused on ways of improving quality of life for older people in urban communities and were designed to be particularly sensitive to marginalised community voices.