Gini index in Ireland
Ireland: Gini index was 29 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gini index in Ireland, 1987–2023
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
In 2023, gini index in Ireland stood at 29. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Ireland peaked at 37 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 29, in 2023.
Ireland ranks 104th of 123 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Gini index in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 35.5 | — |
| 1994 | 36.9 | +3.9% |
| 1995 | 37 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 35.6 | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 33 | -7.3% |
| 2002 | 32.3 | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 32.9 | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 33.6 | +2.1% |
| 2005 | 33.8 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 32.7 | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 31.9 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 30.9 | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 32.7 | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 32.3 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 32.9 | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 33.2 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 33.5 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 31.9 | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 31.8 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 32.8 | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 31.4 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 30.6 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 30.3 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 29.2 | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 29.4 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 29.9 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 29 | -3.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 29 is below the median for high income countries, which is 32.05, 90% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 29 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 30.65, 95% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.5 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 1 |
| 1990s | 36.5 | 35.6 | 37 | 3 |
| 2000s | 32.64 | 30.9 | 33.8 | 9 |
| 2010s | 32.07 | 30.3 | 33.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.38 | 29 | 29.9 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More poverty & inequality data for Ireland
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 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 1.6 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 7,325 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 3.71 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 21.9 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 21.9% (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 Ireland?
- Gini index in Ireland was 29 in 2023, 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 37 in 1995.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 29 in 2023.
- How does Ireland rank for gini index?
- Ireland ranks 104th out of 123 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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 — 27 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.