Palma ratio in Japan

Japan: Palma ratio was 1.23 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
1.23
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
80th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.38
in 2008
All-time low
1.13
in 2015
Years of data
13
2008–2020

Palma ratio in Japan, 2008–2020

00.511.52008201420202008: 1.42009: 1.32010: 1.22011: 1.32012: 1.22013: 1.22014: 1.22015: 1.12016: 1.22017: 1.22018: 1.32019: 1.32020: 1.2

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 Japan is 1.23, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio in Japan peaked at 1.38 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1.13, in 2015.

That places Japan 80th out of 120 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.33 1.27 1.38 2
2010s 1.2 1.13 1.26 10
2020s 1.23 1.23 1.23 1

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 77 United Kingdom 1.25 compare
  2. 78 Cyprus 1.24 compare
  3. 79 Uzbekistan 1.23 compare
  4. 81 Taiwan 1.21 compare
  5. 82 France 1.21 compare
  6. 83 Mauritania 1.21 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio in Japan?
Palma ratio in Japan was 1.23 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 Japan?
The highest recorded value was 1.38 in 2008.
What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 1.13 in 2015.
How does Japan rank for palma ratio?
Japan ranks 80th out of 120 countries with data for 2020.
Is palma ratio rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan 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.