Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Gini coefficient (before tax) was 0.5911 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka, 1985–2016
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka stood at 0.5911.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka peaked at 0.6144 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.534, in 1985.
That places Sri Lanka 35th out of 113 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.534 | — |
| 1990 | 0.5478 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 0.562 | +2.6% |
| 2002 | 0.6144 | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 0.6062 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.5723 | -5.6% |
| 2012 | 0.5919 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 0.5911 | -0.1% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 0.5911 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5898, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.534 | 0.534 | 0.534 | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.5549 | 0.5478 | 0.562 | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.5976 | 0.5723 | 0.6144 | 3 |
| 2010s | 0.5915 | 0.5911 | 0.5919 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More poverty & inequality data for Sri Lanka
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 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 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,804 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 25.42 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 9.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 9.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka?
- Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka was 0.5911 in 2016, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6144 in 2002.
- What is the lowest gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.534 in 1985.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 35th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gini coefficient (before 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 before taxes and benefits.