Norway vs Sweden: Palma ratio (before tax)
Norway
1.89
in 2022
Sweden
1.85
in 2022
Norway rank
109th
Sweden rank
110th
Palma ratio (before tax) over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Norway currently reports 1.89 against 1.85 in Sweden, a difference of 0.04.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 11 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Sweden ahead.
Norway ranks 109th and Sweden ranks 110th of 113 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Norway averaged higher in 2 and Sweden in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.38 | 1.7 | 0.325 | Sweden |
| 2000s | 2.06 | 1.92 | 0.133 | Norway |
| 2010s | 1.96 | 1.91 | 0.0469 | Norway |
| 2020s | 1.85 | 1.89 | 0.039 | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher palma ratio (before tax), Norway or Sweden?
- Norway, at 1.89 against 1.85 in Sweden as of 2022.
- What is the difference in palma ratio (before tax) between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.04, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2022.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Norway ranks 109th and Sweden ranks 110th 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.