The level of education people have affects how income is distributed. When education is more evenly spread out, income inequality decreases. Policies that improve social benefits and keep prices stable help reduce income inequality. Spending on education also helps make income more equal. However, when countries have higher income levels, trade more internationally, and advance technologically quickly, income and education inequality tend to increase. In East Asian countries, recent income inequality has been driven more by fast economic growth and globalization than by changes in education distribution.