Palma ratio (before tax) in India

India: Palma ratio (before tax) was 6.54 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
6.54
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
23rd
of 113 countries
All-time high
7.2
in 2017
All-time low
2.14
in 1982
Years of data
75
1923–2022

Palma ratio (before tax) in India, 1923–2022

2468192319722022

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

Analysis

India recorded 6.54 for palma ratio (before tax) in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in India peaked at 7.2 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.14, in 1982.

India ranks 23rd of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 75 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1920s 4.33 4.01 4.67 7
1930s 3.99 3.95 4.04 10
1940s 3.17 2.44 3.96 6
1950s 3.14 2.36 3.43 7
1960s 2.79 2.62 2.98 7
1970s 2.51 2.34 2.56 7
1980s 2.54 2.14 2.76 10
1990s 2.93 2.54 3.21 9
2000s 4.21 4.21 4.21 1
2010s 6.66 6.2 7.2 8
2020s 6.35 6.23 6.54 3

Countries ranked near India

  1. 20 Taiwan 6.98 compare
  2. 21 Uganda 6.74 compare
  3. 22 Tunisia 6.63 compare
  4. 24 Ghana 6.44 compare
  5. 25 Turkey 6.16 compare
  6. 26 Cameroon 6.15 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio (before tax) in India?
Palma ratio (before tax) in India was 6.54 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 7.2 in 2017.
What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 2.14 in 1982.
How does India rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
India ranks 23rd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this India 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 — 75 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.