Panama vs South Africa: Palma ratio
Panama
3.23
in 2024
South Africa
4
in 2022
Panama rank
6th
South Africa rank
3rd
Palma ratio over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4 against 3.23 in Panama, a difference of 0.77.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Panama's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Panama ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 3rd of 120 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.32 | 6.48 | 2.16 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.47 | 5.87 | 2.4 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher palma ratio, Panama or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4 against 3.23 in Panama as of 2022.
- What is the difference in palma ratio between Panama and South Africa?
- 0.77, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2014.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for palma ratio?
- Panama ranks 6th and South Africa ranks 3rd of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Palma ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Palma ratio is a measure of inequality that divides the share received by the richest 10% by the share of the poorest 40%. Higher values indicate higher inequality.