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.
Ranking Highlights
- Bhutan tops the progress rankings in Gini Index, recording a drop from 37.4 to 28.5. Myanmar follows with a reduction from 38.1 to 30.7, while Tonga rounds out the top three, falling from 33.5 to 27.1.
- Across all 106 countries, the average year-over-year change was -0.7 percentage points with a median change of -0.3 percentage points.
- Overall, 62 countries improved in this area while 42 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 |  Bhutan | 28.5 (2022) | 37.4 (2017) | -8.90 pp |
| 2 |  Myanmar | 30.7 (2017) | 38.1 (2015) | -7.40 pp |
| 3 |  Tonga | 27.1 (2021) | 33.5 (2015) | -6.40 pp |
| 4 |  Malawi | 38.5 (2019) | 44.7 (2016) | -6.20 pp |
| 5 |  Burkina Faso | 37.4 (2021) | 43.0 (2018) | -5.60 pp |
| 6 |  Togo | 37.9 (2021) | 42.5 (2018) | -4.60 pp |
| 7 |  Cameroon | 42.2 (2021) | 46.6 (2014) | -4.40 pp |
| 8 |  Niger | 32.9 (2021) | 37.3 (2018) | -4.40 pp |
| 9 |  Zambia | 51.5 (2022) | 55.8 (2015) | -4.30 pp |
| 10 |  Chile | 43.0 (2022) | 47.0 (2020) | -4.00 pp |
| 11 |  Ethiopia | 31.1 (2021) | 35.0 (2015) | -3.90 pp |
| 12 |  Mozambique | 50.3 (2019) | 54.0 (2014) | -3.70 pp |
| 13 |  Benin | 34.4 (2021) | 37.9 (2018) | -3.50 pp |
| 14 |  Egypt | 28.5 (2021) | 31.9 (2019) | -3.40 pp |
| 15 |  Guatemala | 45.2 (2023) | 48.3 (2014) | -3.10 pp |
| 16 |  Kyrgyzstan | 26.4 (2022) | 28.8 (2021) | -2.40 pp |
| 17 |  Norway | 26.9 (2022) | 29.1 (2021) | -2.20 pp |
| 18 |  Senegal | 36.2 (2021) | 38.3 (2018) | -2.10 pp |
| 19 |  Maldives | 29.3 (2019) | 31.3 (2016) | -2.00 pp |
| 20 |  Panama | 48.9 (2023) | 50.9 (2021) | -2.00 pp |
| 21 |  Côte d'Ivoire | 35.3 (2021) | 37.2 (2018) | -1.90 pp |
| 22 |  Canada | 29.9 (2020) | 31.7 (2019) | -1.80 pp |
| 23 |  Pakistan | 29.6 (2018) | 31.3 (2015) | -1.70 pp |
| 24 |  Romania | 32.3 (2022) | 33.9 (2021) | -1.60 pp |
| 25 |  Sri Lanka | 37.7 (2019) | 39.3 (2016) | -1.60 pp |
| 26 |  Honduras | 46.8 (2023) | 48.2 (2019) | -1.40 pp |
| 27 |  Philippines | 39.3 (2023) | 40.7 (2021) | -1.40 pp |
| 28 |  China | 35.7 (2021) | 37.1 (2020) | -1.40 pp |
| 29 |  Guinea-Bissau | 33.4 (2021) | 34.8 (2018) | -1.40 pp |
| 30 |  Mongolia | 31.4 (2022) | 32.7 (2018) | -1.30 pp |
| 31 |  Indonesia | 34.9 (2024) | 36.1 (2023) | -1.20 pp |
| 32 |  Mexico | 43.5 (2022) | 44.6 (2020) | -1.10 pp |
| 33 |  Montenegro | 34.3 (2021) | 35.4 (2020) | -1.10 pp |
| 34 |  Italy | 33.7 (2022) | 34.8 (2021) | -1.10 pp |
| 35 |  Ukraine | 25.6 (2020) | 26.6 (2019) | -1.00 pp |
| 36 |  Costa Rica | 45.8 (2024) | 46.7 (2023) | -0.90 pp |
| 37 |  Belarus | 24.4 (2020) | 25.3 (2019) | -0.90 pp |
| 38 |  Colombia | 53.9 (2023) | 54.8 (2022) | -0.90 pp |
| 39 |  Ecuador | 44.6 (2023) | 45.5 (2022) | -0.90 pp |
| 40 |  Bulgaria | 38.2 (2022) | 39.0 (2021) | -0.80 pp |
| 41 |  Nigeria | 35.1 (2018) | 35.9 (2015) | -0.80 pp |
| 42 |  Thailand | 33.5 (2023) | 34.3 (2022) | -0.80 pp |
| 43 |  Albania | 29.4 (2020) | 30.1 (2019) | -0.70 pp |
| 44 |  Japan | 32.3 (2020) | 33.0 (2019) | -0.70 pp |
| 45 |  Armenia | 27.2 (2023) | 27.9 (2022) | -0.70 pp |
| 46 |  Vietnam | 36.1 (2022) | 36.8 (2020) | -0.70 pp |
| 47 |  Mauritania | 32.0 (2019) | 32.6 (2014) | -0.60 pp |
| 48 |  Latvia | 33.7 (2022) | 34.3 (2021) | -0.60 pp |
| 49 |  Malaysia | 40.7 (2021) | 41.2 (2018) | -0.50 pp |
| 50 |  Brazil | 51.6 (2023) | 52.0 (2022) | -0.40 pp |
| 51 |  Paraguay | 44.4 (2023) | 44.8 (2022) | -0.40 pp |
| 52 |  Serbia | 32.8 (2022) | 33.1 (2021) | -0.30 pp |
| 53 |  Czech Republic | 25.9 (2022) | 26.2 (2021) | -0.30 pp |
| 54 |  France | 31.2 (2022) | 31.5 (2021) | -0.30 pp |
| 55 |  Netherlands | 25.7 (2021) | 26.0 (2020) | -0.30 pp |
| 56 |  Spain | 33.6 (2022) | 33.9 (2021) | -0.30 pp |
| 57 |  Mali | 35.7 (2021) | 36.0 (2018) | -0.30 pp |
| 58 |  Belgium | 26.4 (2022) | 26.6 (2021) | -0.20 pp |
| 59 |  United Kingdom | 32.4 (2021) | 32.6 (2020) | -0.20 pp |
| 60 |  Lithuania | 36.6 (2022) | 36.7 (2021) | -0.10 pp |
| 61 |  Chad | 37.4 (2022) | 37.5 (2018) | -0.10 pp |
| 62 |  Uganda | 42.7 (2019) | 42.8 (2016) | -0.10 pp |
| 63 |  Slovakia | 24.1 (2022) | 24.1 (2021) | +0.00 pp |
| 64 |  Slovenia | 24.3 (2022) | 24.3 (2021) | +0.00 pp |
| 65 |  Switzerland | 33.8 (2021) | 33.7 (2020) | +0.10 pp |
| 66 |  United States | 41.8 (2023) | 41.7 (2022) | +0.10 pp |
| 67 |  Israel | 37.9 (2021) | 37.8 (2020) | +0.10 pp |
| 68 |  Türkiye | 44.5 (2022) | 44.4 (2021) | +0.10 pp |
| 69 |  South Korea | 32.9 (2021) | 32.7 (2020) | +0.20 pp |
| 70 |  Austria | 30.9 (2022) | 30.7 (2021) | +0.20 pp |
| 71 |  Cyprus | 31.5 (2022) | 31.3 (2021) | +0.20 pp |
| 72 |  Finland | 27.9 (2022) | 27.7 (2021) | +0.20 pp |
| 73 |  Moldova | 25.9 (2022) | 25.7 (2021) | +0.20 pp |
| 74 |  Uruguay | 40.9 (2023) | 40.6 (2022) | +0.30 pp |
| 75 |  Poland | 28.9 (2022) | 28.5 (2021) | +0.40 pp |
| 76 |  Peru | 40.7 (2023) | 40.3 (2022) | +0.40 pp |
| 77 |  Estonia | 32.3 (2022) | 31.8 (2021) | +0.50 pp |
| 78 |  Greece | 33.4 (2022) | 32.9 (2021) | +0.50 pp |
| 79 |  Ireland | 29.9 (2022) | 29.4 (2021) | +0.50 pp |
| 80 |  Iceland | 26.6 (2018) | 26.1 (2017) | +0.50 pp |
| 81 |  Kazakhstan | 29.2 (2021) | 28.7 (2020) | +0.50 pp |
| 82 |  North Macedonia | 33.5 (2019) | 33.0 (2018) | +0.50 pp |
| 83 |  Australia | 34.3 (2018) | 33.7 (2016) | +0.60 pp |
| 84 |  Germany | 32.4 (2020) | 31.8 (2019) | +0.60 pp |
| 85 |  Bolivia | 42.1 (2023) | 41.2 (2022) | +0.90 pp |
| 86 |  Tunisia | 33.7 (2021) | 32.8 (2015) | +0.90 pp |
| 87 |  Bangladesh | 33.4 (2022) | 32.4 (2016) | +1.00 pp |
| 88 |  Denmark | 29.3 (2022) | 28.3 (2021) | +1.00 pp |
| 89 |  Hungary | 30.2 (2022) | 29.2 (2021) | +1.00 pp |
| 90 |  El Salvador | 39.8 (2023) | 38.8 (2022) | +1.00 pp |
| 91 |  Croatia | 30.0 (2022) | 28.9 (2021) | +1.10 pp |
| 92 |  Iran | 35.9 (2023) | 34.8 (2022) | +1.10 pp |
| 93 |  Georgia | 34.8 (2023) | 33.5 (2022) | +1.30 pp |
| 94 |  Dominican Republic | 38.4 (2023) | 37.0 (2022) | +1.40 pp |
| 95 |  Luxembourg | 34.1 (2022) | 32.7 (2021) | +1.40 pp |
| 96 |  Russia | 35.1 (2021) | 33.7 (2020) | +1.40 pp |
| 97 |  Argentina | 42.4 (2023) | 40.7 (2022) | +1.70 pp |
| 98 |  Portugal | 36.3 (2022) | 34.6 (2021) | +1.70 pp |
| 99 |  Sweden | 31.6 (2022) | 29.8 (2021) | +1.80 pp |
| 100 |  Liberia | 35.3 (2016) | 33.2 (2014) | +2.10 pp |
| 101 |  Kenya | 38.7 (2021) | 36.2 (2020) | +2.50 pp |
| 102 |  Gambia | 38.8 (2020) | 35.9 (2015) | +2.90 pp |
| 103 |  Malta | 34.6 (2022) | 31.6 (2021) | +3.00 pp |
| 104 |  Uzbekistan | 34.5 (2023) | 31.2 (2022) | +3.30 pp |
| 105 |  Jamaica | 39.9 (2021) | 35.3 (2018) | +4.60 pp |
| 106 |  Zimbabwe | 50.3 (2019) | 44.3 (2017) | +6.00 pp |
Source: World Bank. Only countries with complete data (both points within the past 10 years) are shown.
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