Three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Three metrics of inequality was 46.83 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom, 1982–2021
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2021, three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom stood at 46.83.
The figure is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom peaked at 50.74 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 40.88, in 1982.
United Kingdom ranks 91st of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 40.88 | — |
| 1983 | 41.4 | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 42.07 | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 42.36 | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 42.51 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 42.92 | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 43.67 | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 43.54 | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 46 | +5.6% |
| 1991 | 46.59 | +1.3% |
| 1992 | 46.68 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 47.27 | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 46.99 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 47.58 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 48.13 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 48.16 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 48.75 | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 49.19 | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 48.23 | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 48.67 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 48.87 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 49.91 | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 49.14 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 50.08 | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 50.34 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 50.04 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 48.99 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 50.74 | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 46.75 | -7.9% |
| 2011 | 47.54 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 48.66 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 47.03 | -3.3% |
| 2016 | 46.88 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 46.8 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 46.89 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 46.63 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 46.63 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 46.83 | +0.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 46.83 is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.06, 100% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 46.83 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 46.7, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.42 | 40.88 | 43.67 | 8 |
| 1990s | 47.53 | 46 | 49.19 | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.5 | 48.23 | 50.74 | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.15 | 46.63 | 48.66 | 8 |
| 2020s | 46.73 | 46.63 | 46.83 | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More poverty & inequality data for United Kingdom
- 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 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 7,138 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 -7.54 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.91 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.9% (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 United Kingdom?
- Three metrics of inequality in United Kingdom was 46.83 in 2021, 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 50.74 in 2009.
- What is the lowest three metrics of inequality recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.88 in 1982.
- How does United Kingdom rank for three metrics of inequality?
- United Kingdom ranks 91st out of 113 countries with data for 2021.
- Is three metrics of inequality rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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 — 38 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.