China vs South Korea: Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax)
China
14.0%
in 2015
South Korea
14.1%
in 2022
China rank
63rd
South Korea rank
61st
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 14.1% against 14.0% in China, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 13 shared years of data; in 1982 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 63rd and South Korea ranks 61st of 113 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.1% | 7.6% | 0.5% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 9.1% | 7.0% | 2.1% | China |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 12.4% | 1.8% | China |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 15.9% | 1.6% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax), China or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 14.1% against 14.0% in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) between China and South Korea?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2015.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- China ranks 63rd and South Korea ranks 61st of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.