Canada vs South Korea: Palma ratio (before tax)
Canada
3.53
in 2022
South Korea
3.36
in 2022
Canada rank
74th
South Korea rank
77th
Palma ratio (before tax) over time
- Canada
- South Korea
How they compare
Canada currently reports 3.53 against 3.36 in South Korea, a difference of 0.17.
That makes Canada's figure about 1.1 times South Korea's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 20 shared years of data; in 1982 it was South Korea ahead.
Canada ranks 74th and South Korea ranks 77th of 113 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 4 and South Korea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.96 | 2.13 | 0.1611 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 2.95 | 1.62 | 1.33 | Canada |
| 2000s | 3.55 | 2.57 | 0.9848 | Canada |
| 2010s | 3.3 | 3 | 0.2981 | Canada |
| 2020s | 3.44 | 3.37 | 0.067 | Canada |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher palma ratio (before tax), Canada or South Korea?
- Canada, at 3.53 against 3.36 in South Korea as of 2022.
- What is the difference in palma ratio (before tax) between Canada and South Korea?
- 0.17, with Canada ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and South Korea?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2022.
- How do Canada and South Korea rank globally for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Canada ranks 74th and South Korea ranks 77th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Palma ratio (before tax). 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. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.