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131 Countries by Income Distribution

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Income distribution is how a nation's GDP is distributed to its population. The two functions of an economy are to produce and distribute value such that this is a fundamental type of economic indicator. An economy that doesn't distribute value in some reasonable way is dysfunctional. All countries have a pattern of unequal income distribution whereby the bottom 20% make a fraction of the top 20%. Generally speaking, this ratio is worse in developing countries such that more even income distribution is a hallmark of economic development. This can be seen in the following income distribution data for nations.
CountryIncome of lowest 20%Income of highest 20%
South Africa2.468.2
Namibia2.863.7
Zambia2.961.3
Eswatini3.760.2
Mozambique4.259.5
Botswana3.958.5
Brazil3.158.4
Honduras3.056.1
Angola3.855.6
Colombia4.055.4
St. Lucia3.155.4
Costa Rica4.454.0
Panama3.653.6
Seychelles5.453.0
Nicaragua5.152.1
Benin3.252.1
Malawi6.451.7
Mexico5.451.7
Paraguay4.751.7
Cameroon4.551.7
Chile5.851.3
Zimbabwe6.051.1
Ecuador4.651.0
Philippines5.750.9
Rwanda6.050.8
Comoros4.550.4
Dominican Republic5.850.1
Uganda6.149.8
Lesotho4.649.8
Madagascar5.749.4
Togo5.048.6
Ghana4.748.6
Turkey5.848.5
Congo5.548.4
Peru4.948.3
Tanzania6.948.1
Cote d'Ivoire5.747.8
Sri Lanka7.047.6
Kenya6.247.5
Iran5.947.3
Malaysia5.847.3
Bolivia4.647.2
Haiti5.547.1
Morocco6.747.0
United States5.146.8
Bulgaria5.746.6
Argentina5.046.5
Samoa6.846.4
Burundi6.946.3
Indonesia6.746.1
Uruguay5.945.9
Tonga6.845.4
China6.545.3
Russian Federation7.145.1
Fiji7.544.7
Yemen7.344.7
El Salvador6.444.7
Laos7.644.6
Mauritius7.244.6
Solomon Islands7.044.6
Bhutan6.744.4
Gabon6.044.4
Burkina Faso8.344.3
Montenegro5.244.3
Sierra Leone7.944.2
Israel5.144.2
Thailand7.244.0
Lithuania6.343.9
Gambia7.443.6
Georgia6.543.2
Armenia8.143.0
Ethiopia7.343.0
Vietnam6.742.9
Pakistan8.942.8
Liberia7.242.8
Niger7.842.4
Sudan7.842.4
Latvia6.742.4
Australia7.442.1
United Kingdom7.142.1
Italy6.042.1
Tajikistan7.441.7
Portugal7.441.6
Guinea7.641.5
Serbia5.241.5
Bangladesh8.641.4
Luxembourg6.541.4
Ireland7.941.2
Japan7.741.1
West Bank and Gaza7.341.1
Greece6.641.1
Guatemala4.541.1
Egypt9.041.0
Spain6.241.0
Romania5.341.0
Mongolia7.940.9
Tunisia7.840.9
Albania7.540.7
Switzerland7.740.6
Canada6.740.6
Cyprus8.440.2
Mauritania7.540.2
France8.140.0
Myanmar8.939.9
Maldives8.339.8
North Macedonia5.639.7
Germany7.639.6
South Korea7.339.0
Kosovo9.238.6
Hungary7.938.5
Estonia8.138.4
Poland8.338.2
United Arab Emirates6.238.2
Denmark9.138.1
Malta8.538.0
Croatia7.437.9
Kyrgyz Republic9.937.8
Austria8.037.8
Netherlands8.837.6
Kazakhstan9.837.4
Sweden8.337.1
Finland9.436.9
Iceland9.536.5
Belgium8.736.3
Ukraine9.936.1
Moldova10.236.0
Norway8.936.0
Belarus10.135.5
Czech Republic10.235.4
Slovenia10.034.4
Slovak Republic8.734.0
This data can also be viewed as a ratio here.

Notes

G20 countries are highlighted in bold. Data not available for all countries including the G20 nations India and Saudi Arabia. Data is 2012-2018.
The data above represents income and estimates of income based on consumption. Wealth data tends to produce a greater disparity.
Overview: Income Distribution
Type
Definition
How a nation's GDP is distributed to its population.
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References

The World Bank, World Development Indicators, Income share held by highest 20%, 2020.
The World Bank, World Development Indicators, Income share held by lowest 20%, 2020.

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