Top 10 · economy
Top 10 countries with the lowest income inequality
Gini index of income distribution (0 = perfect equality). World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform) data, each country's latest year, 2005–2025, covering 167 countries.
The top 10
1st of 167 · 2023
Slovakia23.8 Gini (0–100)
- 2ndBelarus24.4 Gini (0–100)
- 3rdKiribati24.7 Gini (0–100)
- 3rdSlovenia24.7 Gini (0–100)
- 5thIndia25.5 Gini (0–100)
- 6thUkraine25.6 Gini (0–100)
- 7thCzechia25.7 Gini (0–100)
- 7thNetherlands25.7 Gini (0–100)
- 9thSyria26.4 Gini (0–100)
- 9thUnited Arab Emirates26.4 Gini (0–100)
The other end · bottom 5 of 167
- 163rdSouth Africa54.1 Gini (0–100)
- 164thColombia54.4 Gini (0–100)
- 165thEswatini54.6 Gini (0–100)
- 166thBotswana54.9 Gini (0–100)
- 167thNamibia59.1 Gini (0–100)
Where the big countries land
- 133rdUnited States41.8 Gini (0–100)
- 92ndChina36 Gini (0–100)
- 68thGermany33.7 Gini (0–100)
- 159thBrazil50.3 Gini (0–100)
Common questions
Questions people ask about income inequality
Which country has the lowest income inequality?
Slovakia ranks 1st of 167 countries at 23.8 Gini (0–100) (2023 data). Source: World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform).
Which countries are in the top 10 for income inequality?
The top 10 are Slovakia, Belarus, Kiribati, Slovenia, India, Ukraine, Czechia, Netherlands, Syria and United Arab Emirates — computed from World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform) data, each country's latest year, 2005–2025.
Where does the United States rank in income inequality?
The United States ranks 133rd of 167 countries at 41.8 Gini (0–100) (2024 data). Source: World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform).
What is the median income inequality worldwide?
Across the 167 countries covered, the median is 35.1 Gini (0–100). Values run from 23.8 Gini (0–100) (Slovakia, ranked 1st) to 59.1 Gini (0–100) (Namibia, ranked 167th).
Is income inequality higher in Europe or the US?
The median across 41 European countries is 30.7 Gini (0–100), against 41.8 Gini (0–100) in the United States — it is higher in the US. Source: World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform).
Which country has the highest income inequality?
Namibia sits at the other end of the list: 59.1 Gini (0–100) ranks 167th of 167 (2015 data). Source: World Bank (Poverty & Inequality Platform).
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Keep exploring
More on economy
- Human development indexUNDP composite of health, education and income (0–1).
- GDP per capitaOutput per person, price-adjusted: states via BEA regional price parities, countries via PPP.
- Median income (after tax)Median equivalised household disposable income per person, USD PPP — what the middle household actually has to spend after taxes and transfers.
- PopulationResident population.
- Land areaLand area in square kilometres.
- Cost of livingOverall price level relative to the US average (100).
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Slovakia leads on income inequality — see where it lands on every other measure, and which US state it most resembles.
From the blog: How reliable is World Bank data? · Census, BEA, CDC, BLS: why US state data is unusually good
All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →