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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

2020 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryIncome inequality (Gini)
28 Netherlands 26.0
27 Czechia 26.2
26 Finland 27.1
25 Norway 28.4
24 Poland 28.5
23 Canada 29.9
22 France 30.7
21 Germany 32.5
20 South Korea 32.7
19 United Kingdom 32.7
18 Greece 33.6
17 Russia 33.7
16 Romania 34.6
15 Spain 34.9
14 Italy 35.2
13 Indonesia 35.3
12 Lithuania 36.0
11 China 37.1
10 United States 40.0
9 Bulgaria 40.5
8 Argentina 42.7
7 Türkiye 43.0
6 Mexico 44.6
5 Congo - Kinshasa 44.7
4 Chile 47.0
3 Ecuador 47.3
2 Brazil 48.8
1 Colombia 54.4

Source: World Bank — World Development Indicators, 2020

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.