Palma ratio (before tax) in Germany

Germany: Palma ratio (before tax) was 3.08 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
3.08
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
84th
of 113 countries
All-time high
3.25
in 2014
All-time low
1.78
in 1982
Years of data
42
1981–2022

Palma ratio (before tax) in Germany, 1981–2022

01231981200120221981: 1.81982: 1.81983: 1.81984: 1.81985: 1.81986: 1.91987: 21988: 2.11989: 2.21990: 2.31991: 2.11992: 2.11993: 21994: 21995: 1.91996: 21997: 2.11998: 2.21999: 2.22000: 2.22001: 2.32002: 2.32003: 2.22004: 2.42005: 2.72006: 2.72007: 2.92008: 2.92009: 32010: 2.92011: 2.92012: 2.92013: 3.22014: 3.32015: 3.22016: 3.22017: 3.12018: 32019: 3.12020: 3.12021: 3.12022: 3.1

Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, palma ratio (before tax) in Germany stood at 3.08.

That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Germany peaked at 3.25 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.78, in 1982.

That places Germany 84th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.91 1.78 2.24 9
1990s 2.1 1.93 2.26 10
2000s 2.56 2.22 2.96 10
2010s 3.08 2.89 3.25 10
2020s 3.06 3.05 3.08 3

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 81 Moldova 3.2 compare
  2. 82 Guinea 3.18 compare
  3. 83 Lithuania 3.11 compare
  4. 85 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.01 compare
  5. 86 Poland 2.97 compare
  6. 87 Malaysia 2.86 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio (before tax) in Germany?
Palma ratio (before tax) in Germany was 3.08 in 2022, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 3.25 in 2014.
What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 1.78 in 1982.
How does Germany rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
Germany ranks 84th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Germany data come from?
The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Palma ratio (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Palma ratio (before tax)
Source
World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
113 places, 3,075 data points, 1820–2024
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. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.