Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland
Finland: Reduction in income inequality before and after tax was 47.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland, 1987–2023
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland stood at 47.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland peaked at 55.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 43.5%, in 2007.
Finland ranks 3rd of 39 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 47.0% | — |
| 1988 | 46.8% | -0.4% |
| 1989 | 46.8% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 46.8% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 48.7% | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 52.5% | +8.0% |
| 1993 | 54.9% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 55.7% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 54.4% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 53.7% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 51.7% | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 49.7% | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 48.1% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 46.8% | -2.7% |
| 2001 | 45.9% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 46.2% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 45.5% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 44.7% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 45.1% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 45.1% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 43.5% | -3.6% |
| 2008 | 43.9% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 46.0% | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 45.8% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 45.6% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 46.8% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 47.2% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 48.7% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 48.9% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 48.0% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 47.1% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 46.7% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 48.6% | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 47.2% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 46.5% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 47.2% | +1.3% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 47.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 34.3%, 1.4× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Finland's 47.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 36.2%, 1.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.9% | 46.8% | 47.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 51.6% | 46.8% | 55.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 45.3% | 43.5% | 46.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.3% | 45.6% | 48.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.4% | 46.5% | 48.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More poverty & inequality data for Finland
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 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 1.28 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,310 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 -12.19 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 42.69 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 42.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland?
- Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in Finland was 47.2% in 2023, 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 Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 55.7% in 1994.
- What is the lowest reduction in income inequality before and after tax recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.5% in 2007.
- How does Finland rank for reduction in income inequality before and after tax?
- Finland ranks 3rd out of 39 countries with data for 2023.
- Is reduction in income inequality before and after tax rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland 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.
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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.