Three metrics of inequality in South Korea
South Korea: Three metrics of inequality was 50.32 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Three metrics of inequality in South Korea, 1982–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 50.32 for three metrics of inequality in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, three metrics of inequality in South Korea peaked at 50.78 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 36.26, in 1996.
That places South Korea 77th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Three metrics of inequality in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 42.7 | — |
| 1991 | 38.92 | -8.9% |
| 1996 | 36.26 | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 40.61 | +12.0% |
| 2007 | 47.25 | +16.4% |
| 2008 | 47.86 | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 47.23 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 48.84 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 48.26 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 47.61 | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 46.45 | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 46.81 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 47.42 | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 49.88 | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 50.78 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 50.47 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 49.77 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 50.13 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 50.68 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 50.32 | -0.7% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 50.32 is above the median for high income countries, which is 47.06, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 50.32 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.06, 90% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.7 | 42.7 | 42.7 | 1 |
| 1990s | 37.59 | 36.26 | 38.92 | 2 |
| 2000s | 45.74 | 40.61 | 47.86 | 4 |
| 2010s | 48.63 | 46.45 | 50.78 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.38 | 50.13 | 50.68 | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More poverty & inequality data for South Korea
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 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 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,615 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 0.0454 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 26.87 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 26.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is three metrics of inequality in South Korea?
- Three metrics of inequality in South Korea was 50.32 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest three metrics of inequality recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 50.78 in 2017.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.26 in 1996.
- How does South Korea rank for three metrics of inequality?
- South Korea ranks 77th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is three metrics of inequality rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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 Three metrics of inequality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.