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What is Global Inequality? (6-8)

This is the grade 6-8 (ages 11-13) version of this lesson. There is also a grades 9+ version on the site.

A cartoon of a sad globe with a teardrop.

The world is not an equal place. Each person’s experience is different with regards to human rights, opportunities, and quality of life. 

A cartoon tornado destroying a neighbourhood.

Some countries have more resources and wealth than other countries. 

Some countries have a peaceful, stable government, and others don’t. 

Some countries are naturally safe and some are dangerous, with lots of earthquakes or hurricanes. 

Inequality can also exist within a single country. Some people are richer than other people. Some people live in areas with roads, hospitals, and schools, while others don’t. 

Inequalities around the world can be linked to many causes. This is why there are many organisations that help populations in need. For example, UNICEF tries to help children around the world by providing resources in education and health. 

 

If the World Was 100 People

The world population is more than 7.7 billion people. This number is so huge that it is hard for us to imagine. So we are going to represent the 7.7 billion people as 100 people because that is a number we can all understand and work with. Now let’s look at global inequality while imagining that there are just 100 people on the planet.

  • 14 people have not learned how to read and write.
  • 93 people do not have a college or university degree or diploma.
  • 60 people do not have an internet connection.
  • 22 people do not have a home (a house, an apartment, etc.) that protects them from wind and rain.
  • 11 people do not have enough good, nutritious food to eat. This means that they are undernourished. 1 person (out of the 11) is dying from starvation.
  • 9 people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water.

 

Try this button.

Here is a fun math activity for you to check your learning. 

Find the correct percentage of people in the world for each question.

Watch the video below to see more examples of what a world of just 100 people would look like. Some of the numbers might be a bit different from the ones above, because the world is always changing.

In a world of just 100 people, 15 people do not have access to regular healthcare. Of those 15 people, 14 live their whole lives without ever visiting a doctor.

Watch the video below to learn more about why global inequality in healthcare is so important.

As you learned in the video, one of the best tools for keeping people healthy is vaccination, also called immunization. 

For the next lessons, we will look in more detail at immunization, especially childhood immunization.


All lessons & quizzes are free!

 This was just one of the lessons in our Global Inequality section. There are over 500 lessons on Kids Boost Immunity just like this one on a variety of subjects. Each lesson includes a quiz and every time a student scores 80% or higher on a quiz, we will donate life-saving vaccines to UNICEF Canada. Sign up now!

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To see other sample lessons, click here.

LAST MODIFIED:
  Jan 15, 2024