Gini index in China
China: Gini index was 36 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Gini index in China, 1981–2022
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gini index in China is 36, measured in 2022.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in China peaked at 43.7 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 27.1, in 1984.
That places China 51st out of 123 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Gini index in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 28.2 | — |
| 1984 | 27.1 | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 29.4 | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 32.2 | +9.5% |
| 1993 | 33.9 | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 35.2 | +3.8% |
| 1999 | 38.7 | +9.9% |
| 2002 | 42 | +8.5% |
| 2005 | 40.9 | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 43 | +5.1% |
| 2010 | 43.7 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 42.4 | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 42.2 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 39.7 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 39.2 | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 38.6 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 38.5 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 39.1 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 38.5 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 38.2 | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 37.1 | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 35.7 | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 36 | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 36 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 36.9, 98% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- China's 36 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 34.4, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.23 | 27.1 | 29.4 | 3 |
| 1990s | 35 | 32.2 | 38.7 | 4 |
| 2000s | 41.97 | 40.9 | 43 | 3 |
| 2010s | 40.01 | 38.2 | 43.7 | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.27 | 35.7 | 37.1 | 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 index in China?
- Gini index in China was 36 in 2022, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 43.7 in 2010.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.1 in 1984.
- How does China rank for gini index?
- China ranks 51st out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is gini index 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. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.