- List of countries by income equality
-
Differences in national income equality around the world as measured by the national Gini coefficient.
Contents
This is a list of countries or dependencies by income inequality metrics, including Gini coefficients, according to the United Nations (UN) and the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Note that because the underlying household surveys differ in method and in the type of data collected, the distribution data are not strictly comparable across countries. The Gini coefficient is a number between 0 and 1, where 0 corresponds with perfect equality (where everyone has the same income) and 1 corresponds with perfect inequality (where one person has all the income — and everyone else has zero income). All Gini coefficients are before taxes which will tend to decrease the wealth of the upper income groups and decrease the value of the Gini coefficient. Income distribution can vary greatly from wealth distribution in a country. See: List of countries by distribution of wealth. Where information is unavailable it is marked N/A.
Income inequality can only be calculated accurately if all income data is included in the calculations.[1] Many financial transactions take place off the books in the so-called "shadow economy"; also called the cash economy, off-the-books economy, informal sector, black markets, System D., etc.. For 2002/2003 the estimated size of the "shadow", unrecorded, unregulated and untaxed, economies (in percent of official GDP) is an average of 43.2% in Africa, 43.4% in South and Central America, 40.1% in East and Central European countries, Russia and former Soviet Union countries, 30.8% in Asia (excluding Russia and Japan), and 16.3% in OECD countries (which varies from 28.2% in Greece to a low of about 8.4% in the United States, 9.4% in Switzerland, and 10.8% in Japan).[2][1]
List
- Note: The table is sortable in various ways. Click the sort button
at the top of the column you wish to sort. Click again to reverse the order of sorting. Reload the page to reset everything to its original format.
Key:
R/P 10%: The ratio of the average income of the richest 10% to the poorest 10%
R/P 20%: The ratio of average income of the richest 20% to the poorest 20%
Gini: Gini index, a quantified representation of a nation's Lorenz curveUN: Data from the United Nations Development Programme.
CIA: Data from the Central Intelligence Agency's The World Factbook.
GPI: Data from the Global Peace Index.Country UN R/P 10%[3] UN R/P 20%[4] UN Gini as a percentage[5] CIA R/P 10%[6] Year CIA Gini as a percentage[7] Year GPI Gini as a percentage[8]
Afghanistan60.0
Albania7.2 4.8 31.1 7.2 2004 26.7 2005 -
Algeria9.6 6.1 35.3 9.6 1995 35.3 1995 -
Angola62.0
Argentina31.6 17.8 48.8 35.0 2007 Jan.-Mar. 41.4 2010 (3rd quarter) -
Armenia8.0 5.0 33.8 25.8 2004 37.0 2006 -
Australia12.5 7.0 35.2 12.7 1994 30.5 2006 -
Austria6.9 4.4 29.1 6.8 2004 26.0 2007 -
Azerbaijan9.7 6.0 36.5 9.5 2001 36.5 2001 -
Bahrain36.0
Bangladesh7.5 4.9 33.4 7.5 2000 est. 33.2 2005 -
Belarus6.9 4.5 29.7 6.9 2002 27.9 2005 -
Belgium8.2 4.9 33.0 8.3 2000 28.0 2005 -
Belize49.2
Benin9.4 6.0 36.5 9.4 2003 36.5 2003 -
Bhutan32
Bolivia93.9 42.3 57.2 157.3 2002 59.2 2006 -
Bosnia and Herzegovina5.4 3.8 26.2 5.5 2001 56.2 2007 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Botswana43.0 20.4 60.5 63 1993 -
Brazil40.6 21.8 55.0 49.8 2004 56.7 2005 -
Bulgaria7.0 4.4 29.2 8.8 2005 29.8 2008 -
Burkina Faso11.6 6.9 39.5 11.5 2003 39.5 2007 -
Burundi19.3 9.5 42.4 19.3 1998 42.4 1998 -
Cambodia12.2 7.3 41.7 12.0 2004 43 2007 est. -
Cameroon15.7 9.1 44.6 15.4 2001 44.6 2001 -
Canada9.4 5.5 32.6 9.5 2000 32.1 2005 -
Central African Republic69.2 32.7 61.3 68.1 1993 61.3 1993 -
Chad52.3
Chile26.2 15.7 52.0 32.1 2003 54.9 2003 -
China (PRC)21.6 12.2 46.9 21.8 2004 41.5 2007 46.9[9]
Colombia60.4 25.3 58.5 56.3 2008 58.5 2008 -
Democratic Republic of the Congo55
Congo56.2
Costa Rica23.4 15.6 48.9 37.4 2003 48.0 2008 -
Côte d'Ivoire16.6 9.7 44.6 17.0 2002 44.6 2002 -
Croatia7.3 4.8 29.0 7.2 2003 est. 29 2008 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Cuba30.0
Cyprus29 2005 -
Czech Republic5.2 3.5 25.4 5.2 1996 26.0 2005 -
Denmark8.1 4.3 24.7 12.0 2000 est. 29 2007 -
Dominican Republic25.3 14.3 50.0 29.4 2005 49.9 2005[10] -
Ecuador35.2 17.3 54.4 17.5 2006 Oct. [11] 47.9 2009 -
Egypt8.0 5.1 34.4 8.0 2000 34.4 2001 -
El Salvador38.6 20.9 46.9 55.4 2002 52.4 2002 -
Equatorial Guinea65
Estonia10.8 6.4 35.8 11.0 2003 34.0 2008 -
Ethiopia6.6 4.3 30 6.5 2000 30 2000 -
Finland5.6 3.8 26.9 5.7 2000 26.8 2008 -
France9.1 5.6 32.7 8.3 2004 32.7 2008 -
Gabon60
The Gambia20.2 11.2 50.2 20.6 1998 50.2 1998 -
Georgia15.4 8.3 40.4 15.2 2003 40.8 2009 -
Germany6.9 4.3 28.3 6.9 2000 27.0 2006 -
Ghana14.1 8.4 40.8 13.7 1999 39.4 2006 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Greece10.2 6.2 34.3 10.4 2000 est. 33.0 2005 -
Guatemala33.9 20.3 53.7 48.2 2002 55.1 2007 -
Guinea10.5 6.6 38.6 21.6 2006 38.1 2006 -
Guinea-Bissau19.0 10.3 47 84.8 1991 -
Guyana26.0 1999 43.2 1999 -
Haiti54.4 26.6 59.5 68.1 2001 59.2 2001 -
Honduras59.4 17.2 55.3 35.2 2003 53.8 2003 -
Hong Kong17.8 9.7 43.4 53.3 2007 -
Hungary5.5 3.8 26.9 5.6 2002 28.0 2005 -
Iceland28 2006 -
India8.6 5.6 36.8 8.6 2004 36.8 2004 -
Indonesia7.8 5.2 34.3 7.9 2002 39.4 2005 -
Iraq42
Iran17.2 9.7 43 16.9 1998 44.5 2006 38.3[12]
Ireland9.4 5.6 34.3 9.4 2000 30.7 2008 -
Israel13.4 7.9 39.2 11.8 2005 39.2 2008 -
Italy11.6 6.5 36 11.7 2000 32 2006 -
Jamaica17.3 9.8 45.5 17.0 2004 45.5 2004 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Japan4.5 3.4 24.9 4.5 1993 37.6 2008 -
Jordan11.3 6.9 38.8 11.3 2003 39.7 2007 -
Kazakhstan8.5 5.6 33.9 8.0 2004 est. 28.8 2008 -
Kenya13.6 8.2 42.5 18.6 2000 42.5 2008 -
North Korea31.0
South Korea7.8 4.7 31.6 8.6 2005 est. 31.4 2009 -
Kuwait30
Kyrgyzstan6.4 4.4 30.3 6.4 2003 30.3 2003 -
Laos8.3 5.4 34.6 8.4 2002 34.6 2002 -
Latvia11.6 6.8 37.7 11.6 2003 36.0 2005 -
Lebanon45
Lesotho10.5 44.2 63.2 48.2 2002 est. 63.2 1995 -
Liberia12.8 52.6 -
Libya36.0
Lithuania10.4 6.3 36 10.3 2003 36.0 2005 -
Luxembourg6.8 2000 26 2005 -
Macedonia12.5 7.5 39 12.3 2003 39 2003 -
Madagascar19.2 11.0 47.5 19.3 2001 47.5 2001 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Malawi10.9 6.7 39 11.0 2004 39.0 2004 -
Malaysia22.1 12.4 49.2 28.0 2003 est. 46.1 2002 -
Mali12.5 7.6 40.1 12.6 2001 40.1 2001 -
Malta26 2007 -
Mauritania12.0 7.4 39 11.8 2000 39 2000 -
Mauritius39 2006 est. -
Mexico21.6 12.8 51.6 24.6 2004 48.2 2008 -
Moldova8.2 5.3 33.2 8.3 2003 33.2 2003 -
Mongolia8.2 5.4 32.8 8.2 2002 32.8 2002 -
Montenegro30 2003 -
Morocco11.7 7.2 39.5 11.9 1999 40.9 2005 est. -
Mozambique18.8 9.9 47.3 18.8 2002 47.3 2002 -
Myanmar11.6 1998 40
Namibia12.8 56.1 74.3 129.0 2003 70.7 2003 -
Nepal15.8 9.1 47.2 15.6 2004 47.2 2008 -
Netherlands9.2 5.1 30.9 9.2 1999 30.9 2007 -
New Zealand12.5 6.8 36.2 36.2 1997 -
Nicaragua31.0 8.8 52.3 15.4 2001 43.1 2001 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Niger46.0 20.7 50.5 44.3 1995 50.5 1995 -
Nigeria17.8 9.7 43.7 17.5 2003 43.7 2003 -
Norway6.1 3.9 25.8 6.0 2000 25.0 2008 -
Oman32
Pakistan6.5 4.3 30.6 6.6 2002 30.6 2008 -
Panama49.9 23.9 54.9 61.4 2003 56.1 2003 -
Papua New Guinea23.8 12.6 50.9 23.8 1996 50.9 1996 -
Paraguay38.8 25.7 53.2 65.9 2003 53.2 2009 -
Peru26.1 15.2 50.5 31.5 2003 52 2008 -
Philippines15.5 9.3 44.5 15.5 2003 45.8 2006 -
Poland8.8 5.6 34.5 8.7 2002 34.9 2005 -
Portugal15.0 8.0 38.5 9.2 1995 est. 38.5 2007 -
Qatar39
Romania7.5 4.9 31.0 7.4 2003 32.0 2008 -
Russia12.7 7.6 39.9 12.8 2002 42.3 2008 -
Rwanda18.6 9.9 46.8 18.2 2000 46.8 2000 -
Saudi Arabia32.0
Senegal12.3 7.4 41.3 12.4 2001 41.3 2001 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Serbia26 2008 -
Sierra Leone87.2 57.6 62.9 87.2 1989 62.9 1989 -
Singapore17.7 9.7 42.5 17.3 1998 48.1 2008 -
Slovakia6.7 4.0 25.8 6.7 1996 26 2005 -
Slovenia5.9 3.9 28.4 5.9 1998 28.4 2008 -
Somalia30
South Africa33.1 17.9 57.8 31.9 2000 65.0 2005 -
Spain10.3 6.0 34.7 10.2 2000 32.0 2005 -
Sri Lanka11.1 6.9 40.2 36.1 2003/04 fiscal year 49 2007 -
Sudan51
Swaziland25.1 13.0 50.4 25.4 2001 50.4 2001 -
Sweden6.2 4.0 25.0 6.2 2000 23.0 2005 -
Switzerland9.0 5.5 33.7 8.9 2000 33.7 2008 -
Syria42.0
Taiwan (ROC)6.1 2002 est. 33 2000[13] -
Tajikistan7.8 5.2 32.6 7.8 2003 32.8 2006 -
Tanzania9.2 5.8 34.6 9.3 2000 34.6 2000 -
Thailand12.6 7.7 42 12.4 2002 43 2006 - UN R/P 10% UN R/P 20% UN Gini as a percentage CIA R/P 10% Year CIA Gini as a percentage Year GPI Gini 2008 as a percentage
Timor-Leste38 2002 est. -
Trinidad and Tobago12.9 7.6 38.9 -
Tunisia13.4 7.9 39.8 13.7 2000 40 2005 est. -
Turkey6.6 4.6 41.2 17.1 2003 41 2007 -
Turkmenistan12.3 7.7 40.8 12.2 1998 40.8 1998 -
Uganda16.6 9.2 45.7 16.4 2002 45.7 2002 -
Ukraine5.9 4.1 28.1 7.6 2006 31.0 2006 -
United Arab Emirates31
United Kingdom13.8 7.2 36.0 13.6 1999 34.0 2005 -
United States15.9 8.4 40.8 15.0 2007 est. 45.0 2007 -
Uruguay20.1 10.2 47.1 17.9 2003 45.2 2006 -
Uzbekistan10.6 6.2 36.8 10.6 2003 36.8 2003 -
Venezuela18.8 16.0 49.5 50.3 2003 41.0 2009 -
Vietnam6.9 4.9 34.4 10.0 2004 37.0 2004 -
Yemen8.6 5.6 33.4 8.6 2003 37.7 2005 - World 12.0 2002 est. - See also
- List of countries by distribution of wealth
- Income inequality metrics
References
- ^ a b Underground economy and income inequality: two connected aspects in the oncoming context of Italian federalism. By Iacopo Odoardi and Carmen Pagliari. Vol. 15 No. 1, 2011. Global & Local Economic Review.
- ^ The Size of the Shadow Economies of 145 Countries all over the World: First Results over the Period 1999 to 2003. December 2004. By Friedrich Schneider (University of Linz and IZA Bonn). Institute for the Study of Labor.
- ^ Data show the ratio of the income or expenditure share of the richest group to that of the poorest. Human Development Report 2009, UNDP, accessed on July 30, 2011.
- ^ Data show the ratio of the income or expenditure share of the richest group to that of the poorest. Human Development Report 20087-2008, UNDP, accessed on February 3, 2008.
- ^ Human Development Report 2010, United Nations Development Programme. Table 3 has the Gini coefficients by country. The year is not given for the Gini coefficient.
- ^ Data show the ratio of the household income or consumption share of the richest group to that of the poorest. Household income or consumption by percentage share (%), The World Factbook, CIA, updated on January 24, 2008. Note: To calculate the value given in the table for this article, the highest 10% value was divided by the lowest 10% value.
- ^ Distribution of family income - Gini index, The World Factbook, CIA, updated on January 24, 2008.
- ^ Global Peace Index calculation incorporates UN Gini scores where available, so countries with a UN Gini calculation are left blank in this column. At [1] click on each country to see its Gini coefficient. Year is not given. "There are, nevertheless, some problems with the Gini-coefficient; there is a considerable lag in the publication of statistics for many countries suffers, forcing the Economist Intelligence Unit to estimate the coefficient for a sizeable proportion of the 153 countries in the GPI. These problems of measurement look likely to persist for the foreseeable future, and the use of other measures of income inequality may be more effective."
- ^ Stephen Young (2010) Geni Coefficient Nation Multimedia
- ^ Data are for urban households.
- ^ Data for urban households only.
- ^ http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2009_EN_Complete.pdf
- ^ "CIA - The World Factbook 2002 - Field Listing - Distribution of family income - Gini index". Faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/docs/factbook/fields/2172.html. Retrieved 2011-08-03.
External links
- Global Peace Index Map of Gini data for 2007-2010
- The World Distribution of Household Wealth
- A map of world poverty
- It's the Inequality, Stupid. March/April 2011 Issue. Mother Jones (magazine). Many charts, with sources.
- Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power. July 2011. By G. William Domhoff. Many charts, and sources. See table 4 for wealth distribution by country. See table 7 for income distribution by country.
- Alan Grayson says United States has fifth-most unequal wealth distribution in world. 10 October 2011. PolitiFact. Discusses income distribution too.
- CHARTS: Here's What The Wall Street Protesters Are So Angry About.... 11 October 2011. Business Insider.
- Shadow economies all over the world : new estimates for 162 countries from 1999 to 2007. Friedrich Schneider, Andreas Buehn, Claudio E. Montenegro. July 2010. World Bank.
Lists of countries by population statistics Demographics Population (density · graphical · growth rate · per household · past and future · per unit area of arable land · urban) · Age at first marriage · Birth rate · Natural increase · Death rate · Divorce rate · Fertility rate · Foreign-born (2005) · Life expectancy · Median age · Net migration · Sex ratio · UrbanizationHealth Antiviral medications for pandemic influenza · Health expenditure per capita · HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate · Infant mortality rate · Percentage suffering from undernourishment · Suicide rate (OECD)Education and innovation Education Index · Global Innovation Index · Literacy rate · Patents · Programme for International Student AssessmentEconomic Development aid · Distribution of wealth · Employment rate · Global Gender Gap Report · Human Poverty Index · Income equality · Labour force · Millionaires · Per capita personal income · Percentage living in poverty · Sen social welfare function · Unemployment rate · US dollar billionairesOther Categories:- Economics lists by country
- Income distribution
- Note: The table is sortable in various ways. Click the sort button
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.