Gini coefficient in China
China: Gini coefficient was 0.3602 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Gini coefficient in China, 1981–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2022, gini coefficient in China stood at 0.3602.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient in China peaked at 0.4375 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.271, in 1984.
China ranks 47th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Gini coefficient in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.2816 | — |
| 1984 | 0.271 | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 0.2939 | +8.4% |
| 1990 | 0.3223 | +9.7% |
| 1993 | 0.3388 | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 0.3523 | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 0.387 | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 0.4199 | +8.5% |
| 2005 | 0.409 | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.4296 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 0.4375 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 0.4241 | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 0.4224 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 0.3974 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 0.3918 | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.386 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 0.3848 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3908 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 0.385 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3817 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 0.3709 | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 0.3574 | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 0.3602 | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.3602 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.3588, 1.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- China's 0.3602 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.3443, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2822 | 0.271 | 0.2939 | 3 |
| 1990s | 0.3501 | 0.3223 | 0.387 | 4 |
| 2000s | 0.4195 | 0.409 | 0.4296 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.4001 | 0.3817 | 0.4375 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3628 | 0.3574 | 0.3709 | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More poverty & inequality data for China
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 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 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,418 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0.5767 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 22.1 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 22.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini coefficient in China?
- Gini coefficient in China was 0.3602 in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4375 in 2010.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.271 in 1984.
- How does China rank for gini coefficient?
- China ranks 47th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gini coefficient rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Gini coefficient measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality.