Gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea

South Korea: Gini coefficient (after tax) was 0.3315 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
0.3315
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
18th
of 48 countries
All-time high
0.3535
in 2016
All-time low
0.3021
in 2014
Years of data
11
2006–2021

Gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea, 2006–2021

00.10.20.30.42006201320212006: 0.3062008: 0.3142010: 0.312012: 0.3072014: 0.3022016: 0.3542017: 0.3522018: 0.3422019: 0.3372020: 0.332021: 0.332

Source: Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2021, gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea stood at 0.3315.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea peaked at 0.3535 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.3021, in 2014.

South Korea ranks 18th of 48 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.3097 0.3056 0.3138 2
2010s 0.3291 0.3021 0.3535 7
2020s 0.331 0.3304 0.3315 2

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 15 Vietnam 0.3498 compare
  2. 16 Georgia 0.3425 compare
  3. 17 Israel 0.3413 compare
  4. 19 Italy 0.3279 compare
  5. 20 Australia 0.325 compare
  6. 21 Switzerland 0.3147 compare

See the full ranking of 48 places →

More poverty & inequality data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea?
Gini coefficient (after tax) in South Korea was 0.3315 in 2021, according to Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest gini coefficient (after tax) recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.3535 in 2016.
What is the lowest gini coefficient (after tax) recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3021 in 2014.
How does South Korea rank for gini coefficient (after tax)?
South Korea ranks 18th out of 48 countries with data for 2021.
Is gini coefficient (after tax) rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient (after tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Gini coefficient (after tax)
Source
Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
48 places, 1,046 data points, 1963–2024
Last refreshed

The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income after taxes and benefits.