Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia
Australia: Reduction in income inequality before and after tax was 27.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia, 2012–2020
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia stood at 27.7%. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia peaked at 30.2% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 27.7%, in 2020.
That places Australia 29th out of 39 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 29.5% | 28.4% | 30.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 27.7% | 27.7% | 27.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More poverty & inequality data for Australia
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 3 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.64 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,690 kg per hectare (2024)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 30.4% (2022)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.056 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 21.6% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.0807 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.0712 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.0712 (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.1849 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia?
- Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Australia was 27.7% in 2020, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest reduction in income inequality before and after tax recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 30.2% in 2014.
- What is the lowest reduction in income inequality before and after tax recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.7% in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for reduction in income inequality before and after tax?
- Australia ranks 29th out of 39 countries with data for 2020.
- Is reduction in income inequality before and after tax rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Reduction in income inequality before and after tax. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This is the percentage difference between the Gini coefficient before taxes and benefits and the Gini coefficient after taxes and benefits.