Income inequality: Atkinson index by country
The Atkinson index measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Depending on the country and year, the data relates to income measured after taxes and benefits, or to consumption, per capita.
Countries reporting
171
Highest
0.634
Zambia
Lowest
0.057
Azerbaijan
Median
0.2515
Years covered
14
2010–2023
Data points
2,331
What the numbers show
Income inequality: Atkinson index is currently reported for 171 countries. The highest value is 0.634 in Zambia; the lowest is 0.057 in Azerbaijan.
The median across all reporting countries is 0.2515, and the mean is 0.2864.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 11.
Over the past decade 52 countries rose and 91 fell. The largest increase was in Sao Tome and Principe (up 30.1%), and the largest decrease in Azerbaijan (down 58.2%).
Income inequality: Atkinson index: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zambia | 0.634 | 2023 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 2 | Eswatini | 0.605 | 2023 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 3 | South Africa | 0.5993 | 2023 | down 0.1% | falling |
| 4 | Angola | 0.5807 | 2023 | up 25.1% | rising |
| 5 | Congo | 0.5511 | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | Mozambique | 0.5441 | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 7 | Namibia | 0.5299 | 2023 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 8 | Zimbabwe | 0.5289 | 2023 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 9 | Cameroon | 0.5286 | 2023 | up 18.6% | rising |
| 10 | Comoros | 0.5244 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 11 | Haiti | 0.5207 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 12 | Lesotho | 0.5143 | 2023 | down 18.4% | falling |
| 13 | Ghana | 0.5095 | 2023 | up 9.1% | rising |
| 14 | Barbados | 0.4898 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 15 | South Sudan | 0.4885 | 2023 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 16 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.4842 | 2015 | unchanged | flat |
| 17 | Somalia | 0.4741 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 18 | Dominica | 0.4605 | 2015 | unchanged | flat |
| 19 | Botswana | 0.4548 | 2023 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 20 | Central African Republic | 0.4547 | 2023 | down 26.7% | falling |
| 21 | Cape Verde | 0.4538 | 2023 | down 10.3% | falling |
| 22 | Madagascar | 0.4488 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 23 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 0.4481 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 24 | Rwanda | 0.4433 | 2023 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 25 | Togo | 0.4408 | 2023 | down 9.9% | falling |
| 26 | Colombia | 0.4399 | 2023 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 27 | Brazil | 0.4373 | 2023 | up 24.2% | rising |
| 28 | Uganda | 0.4361 | 2023 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 29 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.4345 | 2023 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 30 | Burkina Faso | 0.4338 | 2023 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 31 | Sao Tome and Principe | 0.4236 | 2023 | up 30.1% | rising |
| 32 | Tanzania | 0.411 | 2023 | up 6.9% | flat |
| 33 | Palau | 0.4092 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 34 | Gambia | 0.4011 | 2023 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 35 | Kenya | 0.3965 | 2023 | down 23.3% | falling |
| 36 | Burundi | 0.3952 | 2023 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 37 | Sudan | 0.3934 | 2023 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 38 | Senegal | 0.3928 | 2023 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 39 | Benin | 0.3926 | 2023 | — | flat |
| 40 | Malawi | 0.3925 | 2023 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 41 | Saint Lucia | 0.3916 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Panama | 0.3887 | 2023 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 43 | Chad | 0.3823 | 2023 | down 20.1% | falling |
| 44 | Chile | 0.3774 | 2023 | up 13.5% | rising |
| 45 | Bahamas | 0.3755 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 46 | Niger | 0.374 | 2023 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 47 | India | 0.3736 | 2023 | down 2.8% | flat |
| 48 | Sri Lanka | 0.3658 | 2023 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 49 | Ethiopia | 0.3645 | 2023 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 50 | Liberia | 0.3642 | 2023 | down 6.8% | falling |
| 51 | Bangladesh | 0.3594 | 2023 | up 16.9% | rising |
| 52 | Sierra Leone | 0.3592 | 2023 | up 2.9% | flat |
| 53 | Cambodia | 0.3582 | 2023 | up 18.4% | rising |
| 54 | Costa Rica | 0.3559 | 2023 | down 4.5% | flat |
| 55 | Honduras | 0.3557 | 2023 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 56 | Guinea-Bissau | 0.3531 | 2023 | down 35.1% | falling |
| 57 | Nicaragua | 0.3528 | 2023 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 58 | Mauritania | 0.35 | 2023 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 59 | Paraguay | 0.3457 | 2023 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 60 | Jamaica | 0.3368 | 2023 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 61 | Guatemala | 0.328 | 2023 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 62 | Grenada | 0.3256 | 2015 | unchanged | flat |
| 63 | Nepal | 0.3191 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 64 | Guinea | 0.3163 | 2023 | down 11.3% | falling |
| 65 | Palestine | 0.3145 | 2023 | up 10.4% | rising |
| 66 | Mauritius | 0.3144 | 2023 | down 4.6% | flat |
| 67 | Gabon | 0.3142 | 2023 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 68 | Peru | 0.3062 | 2023 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 69 | Ecuador | 0.3061 | 2023 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 70 | China | 0.3029 | 2023 | down 3.6% | flat |
| 71 | Afghanistan | 0.2923 | 2023 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 72 | Turkey | 0.2891 | 2023 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 73 | Djibouti | 0.2869 | 2023 | down 7.6% | falling |
| 74 | Bhutan | 0.2858 | 2023 | down 27.0% | falling |
| 75 | Maldives | 0.2856 | 2023 | down 29.3% | falling |
| 76 | Mexico | 0.2842 | 2023 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 77 | Pakistan | 0.2816 | 2023 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 78 | Iran | 0.2752 | 2023 | down 5.0% | flat |
| 79 | Papua New Guinea | 0.2717 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 80 | Bolivia | 0.2691 | 2023 | down 25.4% | falling |
| 81 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.265 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 82 | Singapore | 0.2594 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 83 | Morocco | 0.2592 | 2023 | down 3.2% | flat |
| 84 | Micronesia (country) | 0.2579 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 85 | Iraq | 0.2547 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 86 | Tuvalu | 0.2515 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 87 | Uruguay | 0.2514 | 2023 | up 1.2% | falling |
| 88 | Malaysia | 0.2476 | 2023 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 89 | Jordan | 0.2411 | 2023 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 90 | Hong Kong | 0.2408 | 2023 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 91 | Israel | 0.2402 | 2023 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 92 | United States | 0.2393 | 2023 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 93 | Samoa | 0.2374 | 2023 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 94 | Bulgaria | 0.2372 | 2023 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 95 | Oman | 0.2369 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 96 | Indonesia | 0.2364 | 2023 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 97 | Laos | 0.2356 | 2023 | up 10.0% | rising |
| 98 | Philippines | 0.2356 | 2023 | down 22.0% | falling |
| 99 | El Salvador | 0.2333 | 2023 | down 20.3% | falling |
| 100 | Yemen | 0.2319 | 2023 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 101 | Mali | 0.2296 | 2023 | down 33.0% | falling |
| 102 | Dominican Republic | 0.2295 | 2023 | down 30.0% | falling |
| 103 | Tunisia | 0.2292 | 2023 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 104 | Argentina | 0.226 | 2023 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 105 | Solomon Islands | 0.2254 | 2023 | unchanged | falling |
| 106 | Thailand | 0.2171 | 2023 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 107 | Georgia | 0.2145 | 2023 | down 18.1% | falling |
| 108 | Venezuela | 0.2114 | 2023 | down 6.4% | flat |
| 109 | Vietnam | 0.2105 | 2023 | up 0.5% | falling |
| 110 | Romania | 0.2087 | 2023 | down 10.8% | flat |
| 111 | Italy | 0.2085 | 2023 | up 1.2% | flat |
| 112 | Tonga | 0.2074 | 2023 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 113 | North Macedonia | 0.2048 | 2023 | down 19.8% | falling |
| 114 | Lithuania | 0.2037 | 2023 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 115 | Lebanon | 0.2024 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 116 | Tajikistan | 0.1993 | 2023 | up 15.7% | rising |
| 117 | Montenegro | 0.1992 | 2023 | down 19.6% | falling |
| 118 | Poland | 0.198 | 2023 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 119 | Albania | 0.1973 | 2023 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 120 | Mongolia | 0.1919 | 2023 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 121 | Spain | 0.1918 | 2023 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 122 | Vanuatu | 0.1915 | 2023 | down 16.0% | falling |
| 123 | Latvia | 0.1903 | 2023 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 124 | Egypt | 0.1868 | 2023 | up 22.7% | rising |
| 125 | Russia | 0.1867 | 2023 | down 14.2% | falling |
| 126 | Nigeria | 0.1863 | 2023 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 127 | Fiji | 0.1852 | 2023 | down 38.4% | falling |
| 128 | Australia | 0.1849 | 2023 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 129 | Nauru | 0.1847 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 130 | Syria | 0.1845 | 2015 | unchanged | flat |
| 131 | Portugal | 0.1836 | 2023 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 132 | New Zealand | 0.1809 | 2023 | up 3.0% | flat |
| 133 | France | 0.1789 | 2023 | up 5.7% | flat |
| 134 | Switzerland | 0.1767 | 2023 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 135 | Myanmar | 0.1756 | 2023 | down 23.6% | falling |
| 136 | Japan | 0.1712 | 2023 | up 8.4% | flat |
| 137 | Sweden | 0.1694 | 2023 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 138 | Greece | 0.1682 | 2023 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 139 | Algeria | 0.1681 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 140 | United Kingdom | 0.167 | 2023 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 141 | Seychelles | 0.1656 | 2023 | down 45.8% | falling |
| 143 | South Korea | 0.1642 | 2023 | down 2.8% | falling |
| 144 | East Timor | 0.1608 | 2023 | up 4.0% | flat |
| 145 | Canada | 0.1598 | 2023 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 146 | Estonia | 0.1567 | 2023 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 147 | Austria | 0.1561 | 2023 | up 2.2% | flat |
| 148 | Kiribati | 0.1554 | 2023 | down 31.9% | falling |
| 150 | Kyrgyzstan | 0.1534 | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 151 | Armenia | 0.1512 | 2023 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 152 | Cyprus | 0.1485 | 2023 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 153 | Kazakhstan | 0.1471 | 2023 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 154 | Andorra | 0.144 | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 155 | Germany | 0.1435 | 2023 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 156 | Norway | 0.1427 | 2023 | up 18.3% | rising |
| 158 | Moldova | 0.1355 | 2023 | down 12.5% | falling |
| 159 | Croatia | 0.1354 | 2023 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 160 | Serbia | 0.1346 | 2023 | down 42.9% | falling |
| 161 | Ukraine | 0.1328 | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 162 | Finland | 0.1275 | 2023 | up 6.8% | flat |
| 163 | Belarus | 0.127 | 2023 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 164 | Brunei | 0.1212 | 2023 | up 8.3% | flat |
| 165 | Netherlands | 0.1138 | 2023 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 166 | Hungary | 0.1134 | 2023 | down 27.4% | falling |
| 167 | Belgium | 0.1132 | 2023 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 168 | Czechia | 0.1111 | 2023 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 169 | Denmark | 0.1102 | 2023 | up 3.5% | flat |
| 170 | Iceland | 0.1068 | 2023 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 171 | United Arab Emirates | 0.1042 | 2023 | down 41.1% | falling |
| 172 | Slovenia | 0.1002 | 2023 | down 17.8% | falling |
| 173 | Slovakia | 0.1001 | 2023 | down 20.8% | falling |
| 174 | Azerbaijan | 0.057 | 2023 | down 58.2% | volatile |
About this data
The Atkinson index measures inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Depending on the country and year, the data relates to income measured after taxes and benefits, or to consumption, per capita.