Palma ratio in Belgium

Belgium: Palma ratio was 0.9453 in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
0.9453
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
111th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.33
in 2000
All-time low
0.8356
in 1992
Years of data
27
1985–2023

Palma ratio in Belgium, 1985–2023

00.511.51985200420231985: 0.8591988: 0.8821992: 0.8361995: 11997: 0.9282000: 1.32003: 0.9892004: 1.12005: 1.12006: 0.9912007: 1.12008: 12009: 12010: 12011: 0.9912012: 0.9592013: 0.9652014: 0.9962015: 0.982016: 0.9732017: 0.9582018: 0.9582019: 0.9592020: 0.8952021: 0.9252022: 0.9292023: 0.945

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for palma ratio in Belgium is 0.9453, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in Belgium peaked at 1.33 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.8356, in 1992.

That places Belgium 111th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Palma ratio in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Palma ratio in Belgium, 1985 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1985 0.8592
1988 0.8824 +2.7%
1992 0.8356 -5.3%
1995 1.01 +21.4%
1997 0.9276 -8.6%
2000 1.33 +43.8%
2003 0.9893 -25.8%
2004 1.15 +16.2%
2005 1.07 -6.9%
2006 0.9909 -7.4%
2007 1.06 +6.9%
2008 1.01 -4.9%
2009 1.01 +0.6%
2010 1.01 -0.3%
2011 0.9913 -1.9%
2012 0.9594 -3.2%
2013 0.9646 +0.5%
2014 0.9964 +3.3%
2015 0.9803 -1.6%
2016 0.9728 -0.8%
2017 0.9578 -1.5%
2018 0.958 +0.0%
2019 0.959 +0.1%
2020 0.8949 -6.7%
2021 0.9254 +3.4%
2022 0.9291 +0.4%
2023 0.9453 +1.7%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 0.9453 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.23, 77% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 0.9453 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.13, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Palma ratio in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2000 +43.8% 0.9276 1.33

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.8708 0.8592 0.8824 2
1990s 0.926 0.8356 1.01 3
2000s 1.08 0.9893 1.33 8
2010s 0.975 0.9578 1.01 10
2020s 0.9237 0.8949 0.9453 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 108 Finland 0.968 compare
  2. 109 Moldova 0.9549 compare
  3. 110 Iceland 0.9491 compare
  4. 112 Norway 0.9172 compare
  5. 113 India 0.9021 compare
  6. 114 Syria 0.8957 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in Belgium?
Palma ratio in Belgium was 0.9453 in 2023, 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 Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 1.33 in 2000.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8356 in 1992.
How does Belgium rank for palma ratio?
Belgium ranks 111th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Belgium 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.

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Palma ratio in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/palma-ratio-wb/belgium/

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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.