Palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland
Iceland: Palma ratio (before tax) was 1.81 in 2016. ▼ Falling
Palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland, 1991–2016
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2016, palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland stood at 1.81.
That represents a change of down 2.4% on the previous year and down 18.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland peaked at 2.5 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.62, in 2010.
That places Iceland 111th out of 113 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.05 | 2.01 | 2.13 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.15 | 1.69 | 2.5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.76 | 1.62 | 1.86 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
More reference data data for Iceland
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.5453 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1076 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.09 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.653 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 179.82 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland?
- Palma ratio (before tax) in Iceland was 1.81 in 2016, 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5 in 2007.
- What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.62 in 2010.
- How does Iceland rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Iceland ranks 111th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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 — 26 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. Inequality is measured here in terms of income before taxes and benefits.