Field Listing :: Distribution of family income - Gini index
This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.
Country Comparison to the World
Country
Distribution of family income - Gini index
Albania 26.7 (2005)
Algeria 35.3 (1995)
Argentina 41.4 3rd quarter, 2010
Armenia 37 (2006)
44.4 (1996)
Australia 30.5 (2006)
35.2 (1994)
Austria 26 (2007)
31 (1995)
Azerbaijan 36.5 (2001)
36 (1995)
Bangladesh 33.2 (2005)
33.6 (1996)
Belarus 27.9 (2005)
21.7 (1998)
Belgium 28 (2005)
28.7 (1996)
Benin 36.5 (2003)
Bolivia 58.2 (2009)
57.9 (1999)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 34.1 (2007)
Botswana 63 (1993)
Brazil 56.7 (2005)
60.7 (1998)
Bulgaria 33.5 (2008)
26 (2001)
Burkina Faso 39.5 (2007)
48.2 (1994)
Burundi 42.4 (1998)
Cambodia 43 (2007 est.)
40 (2004 est.)
Cameroon 44.6 (2001)
47.7 (1996)
Canada 32.1 (2005)
31.5 (1994)
Central African Republic 61.3 (1993)
Chile 52.4 (2009)
57.1 (2000)
China 41.5 (2007)
40 (2001)
Colombia 58.5 (2009)
53.8 (1996)
Costa Rica 48 (2008)
45.9 (1997)
Cote d'Ivoire 44.6 (2002)
36.7 (1995)
Croatia 29 (2008)
29 (1998)
Cyprus 29 (2005)
Czech Republic 26 (2005)
25.4 (1996)
Denmark 29 (2007)
24.7 (1992)
Dominican Republic 49.9 (2005)
47.4 (1998)
Ecuador 46.9 (June 2010)
50.5 (2006)
note: data are for urban households
Egypt 34.4 (2001)
El Salvador 52.4 (2002)
52.5 (2001)
Estonia 31.4 (2009)
37 (1999)
Ethiopia 30 (2000)
40 (1995)
European Union 30.4 (2009 est.)
31.2 (1996 est.)
Finland 26.8 (2008)
25.6 (1991)
France 32.7 (2008)
32.7 (1995)
Gambia, The 50.2 (1998)
Georgia 40.8 (2009)
37.1 (1996)
Germany 27 (2006)
30 (1994)
Ghana 39.4 (2005-06)
40.7 (1999)
Greece 33 (2005)
35.4 (1998)
Guatemala 55.1 (2007)
55.8 (1998)
Guinea 38.1 (2006)
40.3 (1994)
Guyana 43.2 (1999)
Haiti 59.2 (2001)
Honduras 53.8 (2003)
56.3 (1998)
Hong Kong 53.3 (2007)
Hungary 24.7 (2009)
24.4 (1998)
Iceland 28 (2006)
25 (2005)
India 36.8 (2004)
37.8 (1997)
Indonesia 37 (2009)
39.4 (2005)
Iran 44.5 (2006)
Ireland 29.3 (2009)
35.9 (1987)
Israel 39.2 (2008)
35.5 (2001)
Italy 32 (2006)
27.3 (1995)
Jamaica 45.5 (2004)
37.9 (2000)
Japan 37.6 (2008)
24.9 (1993)
Jordan 39.7 (2007)
36.4 (1997)
Kazakhstan 26.7 (2009)
31.5 (2003)
Kenya 42.5 (2008 est.)
44.9 (1997)
Korea, South 31.4 (2009)
35.8 (2000)
Kosovo 30 (FY05/06)
Kyrgyzstan 30.3 (2003)
29 (2001)
Laos 34.6 (2002)
37 (1997)
Latvia 36 (2005)
32 (1999)
Lesotho 63.2 (1995)
56 (1986-87)
Lithuania 36 (2005)
34 (1999)
Luxembourg 26 (2005)
Macedonia 39 (2003)
Madagascar 47.5 (2001)
38.1 (1999)
Malawi 39 (2004)
Malaysia 44.1 (2009)
49.2 (1997)
Mali 40.1 (2001)
50.5 (1994)
Malta 26 (2007)
Mauritania 39 (2000)
37.3 (1995)
Mauritius 39 (2006 est.)
37 (1987 est.)
Mexico 48.2 (2008)
53.1 (1998)
Moldova 37.4 (2007)
33.2 (2003)
Mongolia 32.8 (2002)
44 (1998)
Montenegro 30 (2003)
Morocco 40.9 (2005 est.)
39.5 (1999 est.)
Mozambique 47.3 (2002)
39.6 (1997)
Namibia 70.7 (2003)
Nepal 47.2 (2008)
36.7 (1996)
Netherlands 30.9 (2007)
32.6 (1994)
New Zealand 36.2 (1997)
Nicaragua 43.1 (2001)
60.3 (1998)
Niger 50.5 (1995)
Nigeria 43.7 (2003)
50.6 (1997)
Norway 25 (2008)
25.8 (1995)
Pakistan 30.6 (FY07/08)
41 (FY98/99)
Panama 51 (2010 est.)
56.1 (2003)
Papua New Guinea 50.9 (1996)
Paraguay 53.2 (2009)
57.7 (1998)
Peru 49.6 (2009)
46.2 (1996)
Philippines 45.8 (2006)
46.6 (2003)
Poland 34.9 (2005)
31.6 (1998)
Portugal 38.5 (2007)
35.6 (1995)
Romania 32 (2008)
28.8 (2003)
Russia 42.2 (2009)
39.9 (2001)
Rwanda 46.8 (2000)
28.9 (1985)
Senegal 41.3 (2001)
41.3 (1995)
Serbia 26 (2008)
30 (2003)
Sierra Leone 62.9 (1989)
Singapore 47.8 (2009)
48.1 (2008)
Slovakia 26 (2005)
26.3 (1996)
Slovenia 28.4 (2008)
23.8 (2004)
South Africa 65 (2005)
59.3 (1994)
Spain 32 (2005)
32.5 (1990)
Sri Lanka 49 (2007)
46 (1995)
Swaziland 50.4 (2001)
Sweden 23 (2005)
25 (1992)
Switzerland 33.7 (2008)
33.1 (1992)
Taiwan 32.6 (2000)
Tajikistan 32.6 (2006)
34.7 (1998)
Tanzania 34.6 (2000)
38.2 (1993)
Thailand 43 (2006)
42 (2002)
Timor-Leste 38 (2002 est.)
Tunisia 40 (2005 est.)
41.7 (1995 est.)
Turkey 41 (2007)
43.6 (2003)
Turkmenistan 40.8 (1998)
Uganda 45.7 (2002)
37.4 (1996)
Ukraine 31 (2006)
29 (1999)
United Kingdom 34 (2005)
36.8 (1999)
United States 45 (2007)
40.8 (1997)
Uruguay 47.1 (2007)
44.8 (1999)
Uzbekistan 36.8 (2003)
44.7 (1998)
Venezuela 41 (2009)
49.5 (1998)
Vietnam 37 (2004)
36.1 (1998)
Yemen 37.7 (2005)
33.4 (1998)
Zambia 50.8 (2004)
52.6 (1998)
Zimbabwe 50.1 (2006)
50.1 (1995)