The gap between the rich and poor has grown in most wealthy nations, but not as quickly as many people believe and not enough to raise fears of social upheaval, the OECD said in a report released yesterday.

The 30-nation Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said governments were off-setting widening disparities by increasing taxes and boosting welfare spending.

According to latest data, the OECD said Denmark had the lowest inequality ratings, just in front of Sweden, while Mexico had the worst ratings, followed by Turkey.