Malawi vs United States: Palma ratio (before tax)
Malawi
5.36
in 2019
United States
5.47
in 2024
Malawi rank
36th
United States rank
34th
Palma ratio (before tax) over time
- Malawi
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 5.47 against 5.36 in Malawi, a difference of 0.11.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1938 it was Malawi ahead.
Malawi ranks 36th and United States ranks 34th of 113 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 7.37 | 5.17 | 2.2 | Malawi |
| 1940s | 7.66 | 3.9 | 3.76 | Malawi |
| 1950s | 8.8 | 3.05 | 5.76 | Malawi |
| 1960s | 11.11 | 2.77 | 8.33 | Malawi |
| 1970s | 14.91 | 2.51 | 12.4 | Malawi |
| 1990s | 23.68 | 4.35 | 19.33 | Malawi |
| 2000s | 5.96 | 4.59 | 1.38 | Malawi |
| 2010s | 7.06 | 5.37 | 1.69 | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher palma ratio (before tax), Malawi or United States?
- United States, at 5.47 against 5.36 in Malawi as of 2024.
- What is the difference in palma ratio (before tax) between Malawi and United States?
- 0.11, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and United States?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1938 to 2019.
- How do Malawi and United States rank globally for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Malawi ranks 36th and United States ranks 34th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) β 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.