Palma ratio in China

China: Palma ratio was 1.52 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
1.52
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
46th
of 120 countries
All-time high
2.28
in 2010
All-time low
0.9342
in 1984
Years of data
23
1981–2022

Palma ratio in China, 1981–2022

00.511.522.51981200120221981: 0.9741984: 0.9341987: 11990: 1.21993: 1.31996: 1.41999: 1.72002: 2.12005: 1.92008: 2.22010: 2.32011: 2.12012: 2.12013: 1.82014: 1.82015: 1.72016: 1.72017: 1.82018: 1.72019: 1.72020: 1.62021: 1.52022: 1.5

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

Analysis

In 2022, palma ratio in China stood at 1.52.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 27.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in China peaked at 2.28 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.9342, in 1984.

China ranks 46th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.9855 0.9342 1.05 3
1990s 1.44 1.24 1.72 4
2000s 2.06 1.94 2.18 3
2010s 1.87 1.69 2.28 10
2020s 1.54 1.5 1.61 3

Countries ranked near China

  1. 43 Russia 1.53 compare
  2. 44 Tajikistan 1.52 compare
  3. 45 Palestine 1.52 compare
  4. 47 Vietnam 1.51 compare
  5. 48 Iran 1.5 compare
  6. 49 Mali 1.48 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in China?
Palma ratio in China was 1.52 in 2022, 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 China?
The highest recorded value was 2.28 in 2010.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9342 in 1984.
How does China rank for palma ratio?
China ranks 46th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China 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 — 23 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.