A Richer World... but for whom?

The BBC's new A Richer World season is exploring global wealth, poverty and inequality.

By some measurements, the world is richer than ever before. The number of people living in extreme poverty has halved in recent decades, car ownership has risen, as has that of mobile phones. Three in every four households now own a fridge.

But a richer world is not an equal one; the richest 85 people have as much as the poorest 3.5 billion.

So what exactly does a richer world mean?

You can follow the BBC's A Richer World season in the coming weeks on TV, radio and by clicking on bbc.com/richerworld.

Animation designed by Will Broadbent