Palma ratio in Australia

Australia: Palma ratio was 1.33 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.33
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
67th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.46
in 2008
All-time low
1.13
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2020

Palma ratio in Australia, 1981–2020

00.511.51981200020201981: 1.11985: 1.21989: 1.31995: 1.22001: 1.32003: 1.32004: 1.32008: 1.52010: 1.42014: 1.42016: 1.32018: 1.42020: 1.3

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 64 Georgia 1.34 compare
  2. 65 Latvia 1.34 compare
  3. 66 Germany 1.33 compare
  4. 68 Niger 1.32 compare
  5. 69 Guinea-Bissau 1.32 compare
  6. 70 Greece 1.31 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

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

Indicator
Palma ratio
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
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.