Authors’ elaboration based on Maddison (2007, 2010), UN DESA (2008) and PovcalNet for 2000-30. At the dawn of the 19th century most countries had similar average living standards, even though the gap between the rich and the poor within each country was pronounced. Industrialisation and economic take-off in Europe and North America in the early 19th century triggered a surge in average living standards in the industrialised world, which steadily accentuated global inequality to the middle of the 20th century.