Colombia vs South Africa: Palma ratio (before tax)

Colombia
20.69
in 2022
South Africa
18.12
in 2014
Colombia rank
1st
South Africa rank
2nd

Palma ratio (before tax) over time

  • Colombia
  • South Africa
510152025199320072022

How they compare

Colombia currently reports 20.69 against 18.12 in South Africa, a difference of 2.57.

That makes Colombia's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

Colombia ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd of 113 countries.

Across the 2 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Colombia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 14.31 8.58 5.73 Colombia
2010s 12.48 15.02 2.55 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher palma ratio (before tax), Colombia or South Africa?
Colombia, at 20.69 against 18.12 in South Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in palma ratio (before tax) between Colombia and South Africa?
2.57, with Colombia ahead.
How do Colombia and South Africa rank globally for palma ratio (before tax)?
Colombia ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd 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

Indicator
Palma ratio (before tax)
Source
World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 3,075 data points, 1820–2024
Last refreshed

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.