The world is poised on the threshold of economic changes that will
reduce the income gap between the rich and poor on a global scale while
reshaping patterns of consumption. Rapid economic growth in
emerging-market economies is projected to enable consumers worldwide to
spend proportionately less on food and more on transportation, goods,
and services, which will in turn strain the global infrastructure and
accelerate climate change. The largest gains will be made in poorer
parts of the world, chiefly sub-Saharan Africa and India, followed by
China and the advanced economies. In this new study, Tomas Hellebrandt
and Paolo Mauro detail how this important moment in world history will
unfold and serve as a warning to policymakers to prepare for the
profound effects on the world economy and the planet.