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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

2019 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryIncome inequality (Gini)
6 Argentina 43.3
1 Brazil 53.5
8 Bulgaria 40.3
21 Canada 31.8
9 China 38.2
2 Colombia 52.5
27 Czechia 25.3
4 Ecuador 45.7
20 Egypt 31.9
25 Finland 27.7
22 France 31.2
19 Germany 32.2
17 Greece 33.1
3 Honduras 48.2
11 Indonesia 35.4
14 Italy 34.6
12 Lithuania 35.3
23 Netherlands 29.2
26 Norway 27.7
24 Poland 28.8
13 Romania 34.8
10 Russia 35.7
16 South Korea 33.2
15 Spain 34.3
5 Türkiye 43.8
18 United Kingdom 32.8
7 United States 41.9

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2019

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.