What is the difference between equity and equality?

Equality is where everyone is treated the same no matter what their personal circumstances. In New Zealand this can be seen with education where all 5 year olds are eligible to recieve a free education no matter what their personal circumsyances.

Equity is where people are treated differently according to their personal circumstances. It can be seen as what is fair - but this is a matter of opinion, what some people see as fair, others may not.

Equity is a non measurable concept and concerns the fairness with which scarce resources are allocated among competing ends. Inevitably there are huge disagreements between people as to what an equitable distribution of resources should be.

Achieving economic equity involves taking into account all the individual circumstances before doing what is fair. But who decides what is economically equitable is often the subject of heated debate.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF EQUITY

Horizontal equity looks at treating people in the same situation the same. so for example all children in New Zealand are able to receive a free education – they are all treated the same.

Horizontal equity is the equal treatment of equals.

Horizontal equity is the principle that people on the same incomes should pay the same amount in income tax.

Vertical equity looks at what it is fair to people in different situations. people are treated according to their individual circumstances, at schools students are often treated according to their needs - with students who have higher learning needs given extra support.

Vertical equity is the unequal treatment of unequals.
In order to achieve vertical equity, taxpayers with different resources must be treated differently, for example, by having a progressive tax system, those on a higher income are expected to pay a higher percentage of tax.

Vertical equity looks at what it is fair to people in different situations. people are treated according to their individual circumstances.