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Economy & jobs Statistics · Country

Income inequality (Gini) in China

1981 – 2022 · 23 data points 11 of 27 · Countries Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1981 – 2022

Income inequality (Gini), 1981 – 2022 index
−14% since 2012

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1981 – 2022

The series at a glance China · 1981 – 2022
Latest value 36.0 · 2022
First value 28.2 · 1981
Highest 43.7 · 2010
Lowest 27.1 · 1984
Average change +0.6% a year on average
Data points 23

By year

All years · 1981 – 2022

YearChinaChange
2022 36.0 +0.6%
2021 35.8 −3.5%
2020 37.1 −2.9%
2019 38.2 −0.8%
2018 38.5 −1.3%
2017 39.0 +1.3%
2016 38.5 −0.3%
2015 38.6 −1.5%
2014 39.2 −1.3%
2013 39.7 −5.7%
2012 42.1 −0.5%
2011 42.3 −3.2%
2010 43.7 +1.9%
2008 42.9 +4.9%
2005 40.9 −2.6%
2002 42.0 +8.5%
1999 38.7 +9.9%
1996 35.2 +4.1%
1993 33.8 +5.0%
1990 32.2 +9.9%
1987 29.3 +8.1%
1984 27.1 −3.9%
1981 28.2

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1981 – 2022

Ranking · Countries

2016 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryIncome inequality (Gini)
1 Brazil 53.4
2 Colombia 51.7
3 Honduras 49.8
4 Mexico 46.9
5 Ecuador 45.0
6 Argentina 42.3
7 Türkiye 41.9
8 United States 41.3
9 Bulgaria 40.6
10 China 38.5
11 Lithuania 38.4
12 Indonesia 36.9
13 Russia 36.7
14 Spain 35.8
15 Liberia 35.3
16 Italy 35.2
17 South Korea 35.2
18 Greece 35.0
19 Romania 34.4
20 United Kingdom 33.1
21 Canada 32.7
22 Bangladesh 32.4
23 France 31.9
24 Germany 31.3
25 Poland 31.2
26 Norway 28.5
27 Netherlands 28.2
28 Finland 27.1
29 Czechia 25.4

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2016

What it means

How unequally income is shared: 0 means everyone has the same, 100 means one person has everything.

How it is calculated

Gini index of income or consumption from household surveys.