The wider the gap between rich and poor, the higher the flood mortality

Abstract Economic inequality is rising within many countries globally, and this can significantly influence social vulnerability to natural hazards. Through a global analysis of income inequality and flood disasters in middle- and high-income countries, we show that unequal countries tend to suffer higher flood fatalities. Based on our results, we argue that the increasingly uneven distribution of wealth deserves more attention within international disaster risk research and policy arenas.