Palma ratio in Australia
Australia: Palma ratio was 1.33 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Palma ratio in Australia, 1981–2020
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 1.33 for palma ratio in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palma ratio in Australia peaked at 1.46 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1.13, in 1981.
That places Australia 67th out of 120 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Palma ratio in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1.13 | — |
| 1985 | 1.21 | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 1.26 | +4.0% |
| 1995 | 1.23 | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 1.29 | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 1.29 | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.27 | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.46 | +14.4% |
| 2010 | 1.39 | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 1.38 | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.32 | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 1.37 | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.33 | -3.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.33 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.23, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.33 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.42, 93% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.2 | 1.13 | 1.26 | 3 |
| 1990s | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1.23 | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.33 | 1.27 | 1.46 | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.36 | 1.32 | 1.39 | 4 |
| 2020s | 1.33 | 1.33 | 1.33 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio in Australia?
- Palma ratio in Australia was 1.33 in 2020, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest palma ratio recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.46 in 2008.
- What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.13 in 1981.
- How does Australia rank for palma ratio?
- Australia ranks 67th out of 120 countries with data for 2020.
- Is palma ratio rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Palma ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.