Palma ratio in South Korea
South Korea: Palma ratio was 1.27 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Palma ratio in South Korea, 2006–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2021, palma ratio in South Korea stood at 1.27.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palma ratio in South Korea peaked at 1.43 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1.15, in 2014.
That places South Korea 74th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Palma ratio in South Korea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1.19 | — |
| 2008 | 1.22 | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 1.2 | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 1.17 | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 1.15 | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 1.43 | +24.8% |
| 2017 | 1.41 | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.32 | -6.1% |
| 2019 | 1.29 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 1.27 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.27 | +0.2% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 1.27 is above the median for high income countries, which is 1.23, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 1.27 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.42, 89% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.21 | 1.19 | 1.22 | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.28 | 1.15 | 1.43 | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.27 | 1.27 | 1.27 | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
- 71 Luxembourg 1.31 compare
- 72 Thailand 1.31 compare
- 73 Spain 1.28 compare
- 75 North Macedonia 1.26 compare
- 76 Serbia 1.26 compare
- 77 United Kingdom 1.25 compare
More reference data data for South Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9638 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9281 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2074 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio in South Korea?
- Palma ratio in South Korea was 1.27 in 2021, 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.43 in 2016.
- What is the lowest palma ratio recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.15 in 2014.
- How does South Korea rank for palma ratio?
- South Korea ranks 74th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is palma ratio rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.