Palma ratio in Italy

Italy: Palma ratio was 1.37 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
1.37
Change on year
up 3.6%
World rank
56th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.55
in 1998
All-time low
1.04
in 1982
Years of data
38
1977–2023

Palma ratio in Italy, 1977–2023

00.511.51977200020231977: 1.31978: 1.31979: 1.31980: 1.31981: 1.21982: 11983: 1.11984: 1.21986: 1.11987: 1.31989: 1.21991: 1.11993: 1.41995: 1.41998: 1.62000: 1.42002: 1.42003: 1.42004: 1.42005: 1.32006: 1.32007: 1.32008: 1.32009: 1.32010: 1.42011: 1.42012: 1.42013: 1.42014: 1.42015: 1.42016: 1.42017: 1.52018: 1.42019: 1.42020: 1.42021: 1.42022: 1.32023: 1.4

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

Analysis

Italy recorded 1.37 for palma ratio in 2023.

That represents a change of up 3.6% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in Italy peaked at 1.55 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.04, in 1982.

That places Italy 56th out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.

Palma ratio in Italy, year by year

Annual values for Palma ratio in Italy, 1977 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1977 1.34
1978 1.29 -3.7%
1979 1.29 +0.2%
1980 1.28 -1.5%
1981 1.19 -7.1%
1982 1.04 -11.8%
1983 1.07 +2.1%
1984 1.16 +9.0%
1986 1.15 -1.3%
1987 1.33 +16.2%
1989 1.22 -8.5%
1991 1.14 -6.3%
1993 1.42 +23.8%
1995 1.43 +1.2%
1998 1.55 +8.3%
2000 1.44 -7.6%
2002 1.38 -3.6%
2003 1.42 +2.4%
2004 1.37 -3.2%
2005 1.33 -3.2%
2006 1.32 -0.4%
2007 1.27 -4.5%
2008 1.33 +5.3%
2009 1.33 -0.5%
2010 1.39 +4.8%
2011 1.42 +2.0%
2012 1.42 +0.3%
2013 1.4 -1.7%
2014 1.38 -1.6%
2015 1.43 +4.1%
2016 1.43 -0.5%
2017 1.48 +4.1%
2018 1.42 -4.4%
2019 1.38 -2.9%
2020 1.42 +3.2%
2021 1.4 -1.3%
2022 1.32 -6.0%
2023 1.37 +3.6%

Italy compared with similar countries

  • Italy's 1.37 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.23, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
  • Italy's 1.37 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.13, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.31 1.29 1.34 3
1980s 1.18 1.04 1.33 8
1990s 1.39 1.14 1.55 4
2000s 1.35 1.27 1.44 9
2010s 1.41 1.38 1.48 10
2020s 1.38 1.32 1.42 4

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 53 Laos 1.43 compare
  2. 54 Indonesia 1.42 compare
  3. 55 Benin 1.39 compare
  4. 57 Portugal 1.35 compare
  5. 58 Jordan 1.35 compare
  6. 59 Tunisia 1.35 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in Italy?
Palma ratio in Italy was 1.37 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 1.55 in 1998.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 1.04 in 1982.
How does Italy rank for palma ratio?
Italy ranks 56th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Italy 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 Italy. 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/italy/

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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.