Gini coefficient (after tax) in United States
United States: Gini coefficient (after tax) was 0.3943 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Gini coefficient (after tax) in United States, 1963–2024
Source: Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gini coefficient (after tax) in United States is 0.3943, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 62 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient (after tax) in United States peaked at 0.3943 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.3103, in 1978.
That places United States 8th out of 48 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Gini coefficient (after tax) in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 0.3292 | — |
| 1964 | 0.3339 | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 0.3305 | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 0.3275 | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 0.3251 | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 0.3183 | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 0.3162 | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 0.3238 | +2.4% |
| 1971 | 0.3285 | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 0.3277 | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 0.3223 | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 0.3178 | -1.4% |
| 1975 | 0.3187 | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 0.3182 | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.3161 | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 0.3103 | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 0.3126 | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 0.3105 | -0.7% |
| 1981 | 0.3164 | +1.9% |
| 1982 | 0.3295 | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 0.3366 | +2.2% |
| 1984 | 0.3379 | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 0.3413 | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 0.3422 | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 0.3393 | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 0.3435 | +1.3% |
| 1989 | 0.3473 | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3452 | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 0.3448 | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 0.3506 | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 0.3729 | +6.4% |
| 1994 | 0.369 | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 0.3652 | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 0.368 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 0.3722 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 0.3668 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 0.3668 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.3697 | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 0.3744 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 0.3732 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 0.3794 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 0.3765 | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 0.3859 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 0.3917 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 0.3828 | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 0.3827 | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.3775 | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 0.3715 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 0.3825 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 0.383 | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.3809 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.3863 | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.3834 | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.3846 | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3854 | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.3911 | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3939 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.3758 | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 0.3711 | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 0.3934 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 0.3924 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 0.3943 | +0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 0.3943 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.2989, 1.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3258 | 0.3162 | 0.3339 | 7 |
| 1970s | 0.3196 | 0.3103 | 0.3285 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3344 | 0.3105 | 0.3473 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3622 | 0.3448 | 0.3729 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3794 | 0.3697 | 0.3917 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3842 | 0.3715 | 0.3939 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3854 | 0.3711 | 0.3943 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More poverty & inequality data for United States
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini coefficient (after tax) in United States?
- Gini coefficient (after tax) in United States was 0.3943 in 2024, according to Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient (after tax) recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3943 in 2024.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient (after tax) recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3103 in 1978.
- How does United States rank for gini coefficient (after tax)?
- United States ranks 8th out of 48 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gini coefficient (after tax) rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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
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About this data
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.