Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea
South Korea: Reduction in income inequality before and after tax was 18.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea, 2011–2022
Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea is 18.2%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and up 187.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea peaked at 19.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 2012.
South Korea ranks 35th of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 7.2% | — |
| 2012 | 6.3% | -11.9% |
| 2013 | 7.2% | +14.3% |
| 2014 | 8.6% | +18.4% |
| 2015 | 11.1% | +29.7% |
| 2016 | 11.7% | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | +9.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2% | +10.7% |
| 2019 | 16.1% | +13.5% |
| 2020 | 19.0% | +18.2% |
| 2021 | 18.8% | -1.3% |
| 2022 | 18.2% | -3.1% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 18.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 34.3%, 53% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 10.6% | 6.3% | 16.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 18.7% | 18.2% | 19.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 32 United States 22.1% compare
- 33 Switzerland 21.2% compare
- 34 Turkey 18.6% compare
- 36 Brazil 13.8% compare
- 37 Costa Rica 12.6% compare
- 38 Chile 8.7% compare
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 reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea?
- Reduction in income inequality before and after tax in South Korea was 18.2% in 2022, 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 19.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest reduction in income inequality before and after tax recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 2012.
- How does South Korea rank for reduction in income inequality before and after tax?
- South Korea ranks 35th out of 39 countries with data for 2022.
- Is reduction in income inequality before and after tax rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 187.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This is the percentage difference between the Gini coefficient before taxes and benefits and the Gini coefficient after taxes and benefits.