The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone was published in 2009. Written by Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson, the book highlights the “pernicious effects that inequality has on societies: eroding trust, increasing anxiety and illness, (and) encouraging excessive consumption”. It shows that for each of eleven different health and social problems: physical health, mental health, drug abuse, education, imprisonment, obesity, social mobility, trust and community life, violence, teenage pregnancies, and child well-being, outcomes are significantly worse in more unequal rich countries.
The book has sold more than 300,000 copies in English. It is available in 28 foreign editions.
A collection of Powerpoint slides regarding The Spirit Level can be downloaded here.
An updated report released in 2024, The Spirit Level at 15, expanded on and updated the data here . This new analysis introduces two new indices, and expands on the original book to offer updated data on a total of 27 newly analysed dimensions.