Who gets rich, whoremains poor – andwhy?
ISI researches the structural drivers of social inequality and provides facts to support fair debate and sustainable change.
The Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research
Our researchers investigate the causes and social consequences of wealth inequality from an interdisciplinary perspective. Through empirical analysis and theoretical work, the Munich International Stone Center for Inequality Research contributes to the scientific dialogue on distributional issues and develops evidence-based approaches for a fairer society.
Rethinking inequality: Global research with impact
Social inequality affects us all, worldwide. At ISI, it is not only researched, but actively scrutinized. Through international cooperation, innovative funding programs and a clear attitude: research must have an impact.
Basic research on social inequality
We study socioeconomic inequality, focusing on wealth concentration, to understand its causes, scale, and impact.
Comparative Research and Real Utopias
We explore alternative policies to reduce inequality and promote well-being, blending real utopian thinking with international and historical comparisons.
Data Infrastructure for Inequality Research
We use rich data, especially tax and administrative records, to study individual-level inequality and foster a global research network at ISI.
News
Updates from our research, the institute, and current debates: Stay in the loop!
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Events
Neugierig, was bei uns läuft? Hier gibt’s alle Veranstaltungen auf einen Blick.
Bites of Inequality – Zach Parolin
Poverty is surprisingly persistent in the USA. The article explores the question of whether government investments for children could weaken the cycle.
Bites of Inequality – Isabel Feichtner
As space is increasingly becoming the scene of commercial and colonial interests, international space law is also changing. The presentation traces these developments and asks how the understanding of space and celestial bodies as common property and as the common heritage of humanity is changing.
A Friday afternoon with Christina Cross. Origins, opportunities, reality.
Christina Cross shows how much origin shapes our everyday lives and why the same family forms can still lead to completely different opportunities. In Inherited Inequality, she makes visible why Black and White children in the US often grow up in two different realities. Her book reading event at the "Lost Weekend" invites everyone to join in the discussion and take away new perspectives.
Bites of Inequality – Anette Fasang
Is the intergenerational contract currently being lost when it comes to assets? A transatlantic comparison shows how wealth creation and inequality have shifted for baby boomers, Gen X and millennials. And why it has political explosive power.
Bites of Inequality – Sascha Münnich
Stratification and embedded markets. Patterns and legitimacy of primary inequality: The presentation highlights how the social foundations of markets determine who benefits, who does not — and why primary inequality persists.
Bites of Inequality – Fabian Kalleitner
The Tax-Welfare Nexus: Explaining Support for Reform in Times of Fiscal Stress