Income Inequality by Country
What Is Income Inequality?
Income Inequality measures how evenly a country’s total income is distributed among its population using the GINI index. The GINI index ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 100 (perfect inequality), capturing disparities between the richest and poorest households. A lower GINI value indicates more equal income distribution, while a higher value signals greater disparity.
Why Income Inequality Matters to a Country’s Progress
- Highlights social equity, since large income gaps can lead to social tension and reduced trust.
- Affects economic growth, as unequal incomes can limit consumer spending and reduce human capital development.
- Informs fiscal policy, because governments use it to design tax systems and social welfare programs.
How to Read the Rankings
- Lower GINI values indicate more equal income distribution, while higher values signal wider disparities.
- “Most Recent Year” shows the latest GINI score; “Change” shows the difference from the prior year.
- Small shifts may result from temporary policy changes or economic shocks rather than long-term trends.
Implications for Policy & Society
- High income inequality often prompts governments to expand progressive taxation and social transfer programs to reduce poverty and promote social mobility.
- More equal income distribution supports social cohesion and can boost domestic demand by increasing purchasing power for lower-income households and reduce social tensions.
- Sudden changes in inequality may signal economic shocks or policy shifts, requiring targeted interventions for vulnerable groups to prevent long-term social harm.
- Monitoring inequality trends helps tailor education and healthcare policies to close opportunity gaps over time and support inclusive growth strategies.
Ranking Highlights
- Seychelles tops the progress rankings in Gini Index, recording a drop from 46.8 to 32.1. Bhutan follows with a reduction from 37.4 to 28.5, while Myanmar rounds out the top three, falling from 38.1 to 30.7.
- Across all 109 countries, the average year-over-year change was -1.0 pts with a median change of -0.6 pts.
- Overall, 74 countries improved in this area while 32 worsened. Click on a country to open the full country scorecard and see how it performs across a range of key indicators.
Rank | Country | Most Recent Year | Previous Year | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 32.1 (2018) | 46.8 (2013) | -14.70 pts |
2 | ![]() | 28.5 (2022) | 37.4 (2017) | -8.90 pts |
3 | ![]() | 30.7 (2017) | 38.1 (2015) | -7.40 pts |
4 | ![]() | 27.1 (2021) | 33.5 (2015) | -6.40 pts |
5 | ![]() | 38.5 (2019) | 44.7 (2016) | -6.20 pts |
6 | ![]() | 26.4 (2018) | 32.5 (2013) | -6.10 pts |
7 | ![]() | 30.7 (2019) | 36.7 (2013) | -6.00 pts |
8 | ![]() | 37.4 (2021) | 43.0 (2018) | -5.60 pts |
9 | ![]() | 37.9 (2021) | 42.5 (2018) | -4.60 pts |
10 | ![]() | 42.2 (2021) | 46.6 (2014) | -4.40 pts |
11 | ![]() | 32.9 (2021) | 37.3 (2018) | -4.40 pts |
12 | ![]() | 51.5 (2022) | 55.8 (2015) | -4.30 pts |
13 | ![]() | 43.0 (2022) | 47.0 (2020) | -4.00 pts |
14 | ![]() | 50.3 (2019) | 54.0 (2014) | -3.70 pts |
15 | ![]() | 34.4 (2021) | 37.9 (2018) | -3.50 pts |
16 | ![]() | 40.9 (2021) | 43.6 (2020) | -2.70 pts |
17 | ![]() | 41.6 (2017) | 44.1 (2013) | -2.50 pts |
18 | ![]() | 26.4 (2022) | 28.8 (2021) | -2.40 pts |
19 | ![]() | 36.2 (2021) | 38.3 (2018) | -2.10 pts |
20 | ![]() | 29.3 (2019) | 31.3 (2016) | -2.00 pts |
21 | ![]() | 48.9 (2023) | 50.9 (2021) | -2.00 pts |
22 | ![]() | 35.3 (2021) | 37.2 (2018) | -1.90 pts |
23 | ![]() | 33.1 (2021) | 35.0 (2020) | -1.90 pts |
24 | ![]() | 29.6 (2018) | 31.3 (2015) | -1.70 pts |
25 | ![]() | 40.7 (2022) | 42.4 (2021) | -1.70 pts |
26 | ![]() | 37.7 (2019) | 39.3 (2016) | -1.60 pts |
27 | ![]() | 40.7 (2021) | 42.3 (2018) | -1.60 pts |
28 | ![]() | 39.0 (2021) | 40.5 (2020) | -1.50 pts |
29 | ![]() | 37.0 (2022) | 38.5 (2021) | -1.50 pts |
30 | ![]() | 34.3 (2021) | 35.7 (2020) | -1.40 pts |
31 | ![]() | 35.7 (2021) | 37.1 (2020) | -1.40 pts |
32 | ![]() | 33.4 (2021) | 34.8 (2018) | -1.40 pts |
33 | ![]() | 43.7 (2016) | 45.1 (2013) | -1.40 pts |
34 | ![]() | 31.4 (2022) | 32.7 (2018) | -1.30 pts |
35 | ![]() | 37.5 (2020) | 38.6 (2013) | -1.10 pts |
36 | ![]() | 43.5 (2022) | 44.6 (2020) | -1.10 pts |
37 | ![]() | 34.3 (2021) | 35.4 (2020) | -1.10 pts |
38 | ![]() | 26.1 (2017) | 27.2 (2016) | -1.10 pts |
39 | ![]() | 33.9 (2021) | 34.9 (2020) | -1.00 pts |
40 | ![]() | 32.8 (2021) | 33.8 (2020) | -1.00 pts |
41 | ![]() | 25.6 (2020) | 26.6 (2019) | -1.00 pts |
42 | ![]() | 24.4 (2020) | 25.3 (2019) | -0.90 pts |
43 | ![]() | 52.0 (2022) | 52.9 (2021) | -0.90 pts |
44 | ![]() | 44.6 (2023) | 45.5 (2022) | -0.90 pts |
45 | ![]() | 31.7 (2019) | 32.5 (2018) | -0.80 pts |
46 | ![]() | 35.1 (2018) | 35.9 (2015) | -0.80 pts |
47 | ![]() | 29.4 (2020) | 30.1 (2019) | -0.70 pts |
48 | ![]() | 33.5 (2022) | 34.2 (2021) | -0.70 pts |
49 | ![]() | 32.9 (2021) | 33.6 (2020) | -0.70 pts |
50 | ![]() | 34.8 (2022) | 35.5 (2021) | -0.70 pts |
51 | ![]() | 33.9 (2021) | 34.6 (2020) | -0.70 pts |
52 | ![]() | 48.2 (2019) | 48.9 (2018) | -0.70 pts |
53 | ![]() | 32.7 (2021) | 33.4 (2020) | -0.70 pts |
54 | ![]() | 36.1 (2022) | 36.8 (2020) | -0.70 pts |
55 | ![]() | 28.9 (2021) | 29.5 (2020) | -0.60 pts |
56 | ![]() | 32.0 (2019) | 32.6 (2014) | -0.60 pts |
57 | ![]() | 46.7 (2023) | 47.2 (2022) | -0.50 pts |
58 | ![]() | 29.2 (2021) | 29.7 (2020) | -0.50 pts |
59 | ![]() | 40.7 (2021) | 41.2 (2018) | -0.50 pts |
60 | ![]() | 34.8 (2021) | 35.2 (2020) | -0.40 pts |
61 | ![]() | 31.3 (2021) | 31.7 (2020) | -0.40 pts |
62 | ![]() | 54.8 (2022) | 55.1 (2021) | -0.30 pts |
63 | ![]() | 25.7 (2021) | 26.0 (2019) | -0.30 pts |
64 | ![]() | 25.7 (2021) | 26.0 (2020) | -0.30 pts |
65 | ![]() | 33.7 (2020) | 34.0 (2019) | -0.30 pts |
66 | ![]() | 35.7 (2021) | 36.0 (2018) | -0.30 pts |
67 | ![]() | 32.4 (2021) | 32.6 (2020) | -0.20 pts |
68 | ![]() | 38.8 (2022) | 39.0 (2021) | -0.20 pts |
69 | ![]() | 40.6 (2022) | 40.8 (2021) | -0.20 pts |
70 | ![]() | 34.6 (2021) | 34.7 (2020) | -0.10 pts |
71 | ![]() | 37.4 (2022) | 37.5 (2018) | -0.10 pts |
72 | ![]() | 34.9 (2021) | 35.0 (2020) | -0.10 pts |
73 | ![]() | 24.1 (2021) | 24.2 (2020) | -0.10 pts |
74 | ![]() | 42.7 (2019) | 42.8 (2016) | -0.10 pts |
75 | ![]() | 27.9 (2022) | 27.9 (2021) | +0.00 pts |
76 | ![]() | 26.2 (2021) | 26.2 (2020) | +0.00 pts |
77 | ![]() | 28.5 (2021) | 28.5 (2020) | +0.00 pts |
78 | ![]() | 27.7 (2019) | 27.6 (2018) | +0.10 pts |
79 | ![]() | 37.9 (2021) | 37.8 (2020) | +0.10 pts |
80 | ![]() | 32.9 (2021) | 32.7 (2020) | +0.20 pts |
81 | ![]() | 40.3 (2022) | 40.1 (2021) | +0.20 pts |
82 | ![]() | 24.3 (2021) | 24.0 (2020) | +0.30 pts |
83 | ![]() | 31.9 (2019) | 31.5 (2017) | +0.40 pts |
84 | ![]() | 31.4 (2020) | 31.0 (2019) | +0.40 pts |
85 | ![]() | 29.2 (2021) | 28.7 (2020) | +0.50 pts |
86 | ![]() | 33.5 (2019) | 33.0 (2018) | +0.50 pts |
87 | ![]() | 34.3 (2018) | 33.7 (2016) | +0.60 pts |
88 | ![]() | 32.4 (2020) | 31.8 (2019) | +0.60 pts |
89 | ![]() | 27.7 (2021) | 27.1 (2020) | +0.60 pts |
90 | ![]() | 26.6 (2021) | 26.0 (2020) | +0.60 pts |
91 | ![]() | 36.1 (2023) | 35.5 (2022) | +0.60 pts |
92 | ![]() | 36.7 (2021) | 36.0 (2020) | +0.70 pts |
93 | ![]() | 28.3 (2021) | 27.5 (2020) | +0.80 pts |
94 | ![]() | 31.5 (2021) | 30.7 (2020) | +0.80 pts |
95 | ![]() | 30.7 (2021) | 29.8 (2020) | +0.90 pts |
96 | ![]() | 30.1 (2021) | 29.2 (2020) | +0.90 pts |
97 | ![]() | 29.8 (2021) | 28.9 (2020) | +0.90 pts |
98 | ![]() | 33.7 (2021) | 32.8 (2015) | +0.90 pts |
99 | ![]() | 33.4 (2022) | 32.4 (2016) | +1.00 pts |
100 | ![]() | 31.8 (2021) | 30.7 (2020) | +1.10 pts |
101 | ![]() | 35.1 (2021) | 33.7 (2020) | +1.40 pts |
102 | ![]() | 44.4 (2021) | 43.0 (2020) | +1.40 pts |
103 | ![]() | 41.3 (2022) | 39.7 (2021) | +1.60 pts |
104 | ![]() | 35.3 (2016) | 33.2 (2014) | +2.10 pts |
105 | ![]() | 45.1 (2022) | 42.9 (2021) | +2.20 pts |
106 | ![]() | 38.7 (2021) | 36.2 (2020) | +2.50 pts |
107 | ![]() | 38.8 (2020) | 35.9 (2015) | +2.90 pts |
108 | ![]() | 40.2 (2021) | 35.6 (2018) | +4.60 pts |
109 | ![]() | 50.3 (2019) | 44.3 (2017) | +6.00 pts |
Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.