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Field Listing :: Distribution of family income - Gini index
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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 34.5 (2008)
26.7 (2005)
Algeria 35.3 (1995)
Argentina 45.8 (2009)
Armenia 30.9 (2008)
44.4 (1996)
Australia 30.3 (2008)
35.2 (1994)
Austria 26.3 (2007)
31 (1995)
Azerbaijan 33.7 (2008)
36.5 (2001)
Bangladesh 33.2 (2005)
33.6 (1996)
Belarus 27.2 (2008)
21.7 (1998)
Belgium 28 (2005)
28.7 (1996)
Benin 36.5 (2003)
Bolivia 53 (2010)
57.9 (1999)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 36.2 (2007)
Botswana 63 (1993)
Brazil 51.9 (2012)
55.3 (2001)
Bulgaria 45.3 (2007)
26 (2001)
Burkina Faso 39.5 (2007)
48.2 (1994)
Burundi 42.4 (1998)
Cambodia 37.9 (2008 est.)
41.9 (2004 est.)
Cameroon 44.6 (2001)
47.7 (1996)
Canada 32.1 (2005)
31.5 (1994)
Central African Republic 61.3 (1993)
Chile 52.1 (2009)
57.1 (2000)
China 47.4 (2012)
48.4 (2007)
Colombia 58.5 (2011)
53.8 (1996)
Costa Rica 50.3 (2009)
45.9 (1997)
Cote d'Ivoire 41.5 (2008)
36.7 (1995)
Croatia 32 (2010)
29 (1998)
Cyprus 29 (2005)
Czech Republic 31 (2009)
25.4 (1996)
Denmark 24.8 (2011 est.)
24.7 (1992)
Dominican Republic 47.2 (2010 est.)
52 (2000 est.)
Ecuador 47.7 (December 2012)
50.5 (2006)
note: data are for urban households
Egypt 34.4 (2001)
El Salvador 46.9 (2007)
52.5 (2001)
Estonia 31.3 (2010)
37 (1999)
Ethiopia 30 (2000)
40 (1995)
European Union 30.7 (2011 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 46 (2011)
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 39.4 (2007)
40.3 (1994)
Guyana 44.6 (2007)
43.2 (1999)
Haiti 59.2 (2001)
Honduras 57.7 (2007)
53.8 (2003)
Hong Kong 53.7 (2011)
53.3 (2007)
Hungary 24.7 (2009)
24.4 (1998)
Iceland 28 (2006)
25 (2005)
India 36.8 (2004)
37.8 (1997)
Indonesia 36.8 (2009)
39.4 (2005)
Iran 44.5 (2006)
Ireland 33.9 (2010)
35.9 (1987)
Israel 39.2 (2008)
35.5 (2001)
Italy 31.9 (2011)
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 28.9 (2011)
31.5 (2003)
Kenya 42.5 (2008 est.)
44.9 (1997)
Korea, South 41.9 (2011)
35.8 (2000)
Kosovo 30 (FY05/06)
Kyrgyzstan 33.4 (2007)
29 (2001)
Laos 36.7 (2008)
34.6 (2002)
Latvia 35.2 (2010)
32 (1999)
Lesotho 63.2 (1995)
56 (1986-87)
Lithuania 35.5 (2009)
34 (1999)
Luxembourg 26 (2005)
Macedonia 43.2 (2009)
39 (2003)
Madagascar 47.5 (2001)
38.1 (1999)
Malawi 39 (2004)
Malaysia 46.2 (2009)
49.2 (1997)
Mali 40.1 (2001)
50.5 (1994)
Malta 27.4 (2011)
26 (2007)
Mauritania 39 (2000)
37.3 (1995)
Mauritius 39 (2006 est.)
37 (1987 est.)
Mexico 48.3 (2008)
53.1 (1998)
Moldova 38 (2008)
33.2 (2003)
Mongolia 36.5 (2008)
32.8 (2002)
Montenegro 24.3 (2010)
30 (2003)
Morocco 40.9 (2007 est.)
39.5 (1999 est.)
Mozambique 45.6 (2008)
47.3 (2002)
Namibia 59.7 (2010)
70.7 (2003)
Nepal 32.8 (2010)
47.2 (2008 est.)
Netherlands 30.9 (2007)
32.6 (1994)
New Zealand 36.2 (1997)
Nicaragua 40.5 (2010)
60.3 (1998)
Niger 34 (2007)
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 51.9 (2010 est.)
56.1 (2003)
Papua New Guinea 50.9 (1996)
Paraguay 53.2 (2009)
57.7 (1998)
Peru 46 (2010)
51 (2005)
Philippines 44.8 (2009)
46.6 (2003)
Poland 34.1 (2009)
31.6 (1998)
Portugal 38.5 (2007)
35.6 (1995)
Romania 33.2 (2011)
30 (2003)
Russia 41.7 (2011)
39.9 (2001)
Rwanda 46.8 (2000)
28.9 (1985)
Senegal 41.3 (2001)
41.3 (1995)
Serbia 28.2 (2008)
30 (2003)
Sierra Leone 62.9 (1989)
Singapore 47.8 (2012)
48.1 (2008)
Slovakia 26 (2005)
26.3 (1996)
Slovenia 23.8 (2011)
23.8 (2004)
South Africa 63.1 (2005)
59.3 (1994)
Spain 32 (2005)
32.5 (1990)
Sri Lanka 49 (2010)
46 (1995)
Swaziland 50.4 (2001)
Sweden 23 (2005)
25 (1992)
Switzerland 29.6 (2010)
33.1 (1992)
Taiwan 34.2 (2011)
32.6 (2000)
Tajikistan 32.6 (2006)
34.7 (1998)
Tanzania 37.6 (2007)
34.6 (2000)
Thailand 53.6 (2009)
42 (2002)
Timor-Leste 31.9 (2007 est.)
38 (2002 est.)
Tunisia 40 (2005 est.)
41.7 (1995 est.)
Turkey 40.2 (2010)
43.6 (2003)
Turkmenistan 40.8 (1998)
Uganda 44.3 (2009)
45.7 (2002)
Ukraine 28.2 (2009)
29 (1999)
United Kingdom 40 (FY08/09)
34 (2005)
United States 45 (2007)
40.8 (1997)
Uruguay 45.3 (2010)
44.8 (1999)
Uzbekistan 36.8 (2003)
44.7 (1998)
Venezuela 39 (2011)
49.5 (1998)
Vietnam 37.6 (2008)
36.1 (1998)
World 39 (2007 est.)
37.2 (1998 est.)
Yemen 37.7 (2005)
33.4 (1998)
Zambia 50.8 (2004)
52.6 (1998)
Zimbabwe 50.1 (2006)
50.1 (1995)
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