Income inequality: Atkinson index in New Zealand
New Zealand: Income inequality: Atkinson index was 0.1809 in 2023. ▬ Flat
Income inequality: Atkinson index in New Zealand, 2010–2023
Source: UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, income inequality: atkinson index in New Zealand stood at 0.1809.
That represents a change of up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income inequality: atkinson index in New Zealand peaked at 0.187 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.1661, in 2012.
New Zealand ranks 132nd of 174 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Income inequality: Atkinson index in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.167 | — |
| 2011 | 0.1865 | +11.7% |
| 2012 | 0.1661 | -10.9% |
| 2013 | 0.1756 | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 0.1823 | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 0.187 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 0.1778 | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 0.1825 | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 0.1809 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 0.1809 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.1809 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.1809 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.1809 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.1809 | +0.0% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 0.1809 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1703, 1.1× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 0.1809 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.2171, 83% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 0.1787 | 0.1661 | 0.187 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1809 | 0.1809 | 0.1809 | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More poverty & inequality data for New Zealand
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 9,102 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 7.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.71 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.082 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 24.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income inequality: atkinson index in New Zealand?
- Income inequality: atkinson index in New Zealand was 0.1809 in 2023, according to UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income inequality: atkinson index recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.187 in 2015.
- What is the lowest income inequality: atkinson index recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1661 in 2012.
- How does New Zealand rank for income inequality: atkinson index?
- New Zealand ranks 132nd out of 174 countries with data for 2023.
- Is income inequality: atkinson index rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income inequality: Atkinson index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.