A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.
The Royal Society of Arts Explains: [2 minutes]

Recent News, Opinion, and Research
Dr. Malcolm Torry on Basic Income: History, Feasibility, and Societal Impact
Dr. Malcolm Torry, a British academic, has been a leading researcher on basic income for more than 40 years. As Director of the Citizen’s Basic Income Trust (CBIT) from 2001 to 2020, and General Manager and then Treasurer of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) from...
Riane Eisler on Partnership Ethic and Basic Income
Riane Eisler (born July 22, 1931) is an Austrian-born American systems scientist, attorney, and author known for her work on gender, family, economics, and social evolution. She pioneered the "partnership" and "domination" models of society in The Chalice and the...
New article: “Basic income trials and the politics of scale: A research agenda”
Abstract "The growing popularity of basic income has led to extensive trials of the policy in numerous settings across the world. However, analysis of the politics of basic income, and in particular the political dynamics preceding and resulting from trial programs,...
Prof. David Nettle on Basic Income’s Workability
Prof. David Nettle is a researcher in the Evolution and Social Cognition team at the Institut Jean Nicod, Paris, and a Professor at Northumbria University. His research spans the biological and social sciences, focusing on economic and social inequality, trust and...
Suriname’s Royalties for Everyone: Direct Payments to Citizens
Photo by aboodi vesakaran on Unsplash "President Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi announced the Royalties for Everyone program, aiming to grant Surinamese citizens US$750 from future oil royalties with a 7% annual interest. The initiative seeks to ensure direct...
Can Universal Basic Income Transform China’s Fight Against Poverty?
Research presented at the 2024 BIEN Congress explores China's possible shift from existing social assistance programs toward Universal Basic Income (UBI), raising insights into poverty alleviation and social equity. Conducted by interns Zhao Muge, Wu Yifan, and Huang...
BIEN Asia-Pacific Hub publishes second edition of UBI Times
Dear readers, Greetings from the BIEN Asia-Pacific Hub, and welcome to the second edition of UBI Times. The response to our inaugural edition has been truly heartening. The messages of support, the thoughtful reflections, and the new connections we have made in the...
Paper proposal deadline for BIEN 2025 Congress extended
ATTENTION: FINAL DEADLINE FOR PAPER SUBMISSION EXTENDED! We announce that the deadline for paper submission for the 24th Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) has been extended to March 20th. This is the final deadline to submit your proposal.If you...
Guyana’s $200,000 One-Off Cash Grant: A Step Forward, but More is Needed
Photo by Adam Gethin on Unsplash "President Irfaan Ali’s recent announcement of a $200,000 one-off cash grant to every household across Guyana comes during unprecedented economic growth fueled by the country’s expanding oil sector. The proposal is bold, offering...
A Cash Giveaway to Improve Health in Chelsea, Massachusetts
It doesn't really matter what disease you are looking at — cancer, heart disease, dementia, drug abuse, psychiatric disorders. In every case, poverty is associated with worse disease. But the word "associated" is doing a lot of work there. Many of us feel...
Braga Meetings: Panel on UBI and Sustainability – Call for papers, Deadline 28 February
As the world confronts profound socio-political and ecological challenges, there is a growing need to rethink foundational concepts in political philosophy and public policy. The transition to more sustainable societies demands not only technological innovations but...
Top 10 Universal Basic Income Articles of 2024
As the editor of Basic Income Today and a moderator for the Basic Income subreddit, I read a lot of stuff every year about UBI, somewhere around 100 articles a month. Below, I've compiled a list of the top ten articles I consider my favorites out of everything...