In some wealthy countries, like the U.S., France, Canada and Austria, the increase in inequality over the last 30 years has led to the shrinking of the middle class, as noted in a report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development released today.

The OECD report, titled “Towards an inclusive growth” recalls that from the beginning of the 80s, the benefits of growth were allocated unevenly, between the higher incomes. Thus in 2010, in OECD countries the average income of 10% of the richest was 9.5 times greater than that of the 10% of the poorest people. Twenty five years ago that figure was 7 times higher.

This growing inequality caused the shrinking of the middle class in countries like the U.S., Australia, Canada and France as income decreased with the passage of time. The middle class is the part of the population between 20% of the richest and 20% of the poorest residents.

In some cases, the phenomenon of the shrinking middle class has been accompanied by a “significant increase” of the rich, as for example in Switzerland and Denmark.

In contrast, the growth in emerging and developing countries has results in the expansion of the middle class. However, this figure is fragile.

In Africa, for example, 300 million people are considered to belong to the middle class but are at risk of extreme poverty over the death of a family member of if a crisis occurs, warns the OECD.