Palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland
Ireland: Palma ratio (before tax) was 2.85 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
2.85
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
88th
of 113 countries
All-time high
3.4
in 1922
All-time low
1.8
in 1977
Years of data
89
1922–2022
Palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland, 1922–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 2.85 for palma ratio (before tax) in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland peaked at 3.4 in 1922 and was at its lowest, 1.8, in 1977.
That places Ireland 88th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 89 years of available data.
Palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1922 | 3.4 | — |
| 1923 | 3.39 | -0.2% |
| 1924 | 3.23 | -4.7% |
| 1925 | 3.18 | -1.5% |
| 1926 | 3.06 | -3.7% |
| 1927 | 3 | -2.0% |
| 1929 | 2.84 | -5.6% |
| 1930 | 2.78 | -1.8% |
| 1931 | 2.84 | +2.0% |
| 1932 | 2.79 | -1.8% |
| 1933 | 2.89 | +3.7% |
| 1934 | 2.85 | -1.3% |
| 1935 | 2.81 | -1.5% |
| 1936 | 2.89 | +2.9% |
| 1937 | 2.87 | -0.9% |
| 1938 | 2.83 | -1.4% |
| 1939 | 2.86 | +1.3% |
| 1940 | 2.79 | -2.4% |
| 1941 | 2.74 | -1.8% |
| 1942 | 2.66 | -3.2% |
| 1943 | 2.53 | -4.8% |
| 1944 | 2.53 | +0.2% |
| 1945 | 2.47 | -2.4% |
| 1946 | 2.44 | -1.2% |
| 1947 | 2.38 | -2.6% |
| 1948 | 2.29 | -3.7% |
| 1949 | 2.23 | -2.9% |
| 1950 | 2.16 | -3.3% |
| 1951 | 2.13 | -1.4% |
| 1952 | 2.15 | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 2.1 | -2.5% |
| 1964 | 2.06 | -1.8% |
| 1965 | 2.06 | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 2.06 | -0.1% |
| 1967 | 2.03 | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 1.99 | -2.0% |
| 1969 | 1.96 | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 1.94 | -0.8% |
| 1971 | 1.91 | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 1.93 | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 1.85 | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 1.86 | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 1.81 | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 1.8 | -0.4% |
| 1978 | 1.81 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 1.88 | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 2.03 | +8.2% |
| 1981 | 1.99 | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 2.18 | +9.8% |
| 1983 | 2.28 | +4.3% |
| 1984 | 2.12 | -7.1% |
| 1985 | 2.09 | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 2.06 | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 2.14 | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 2.04 | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 2.02 | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 2.09 | +3.6% |
| 1991 | 2.23 | +6.4% |
| 1992 | 2.2 | -1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.28 | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 2.46 | +7.5% |
| 1995 | 2.42 | -1.5% |
| 1996 | 2.15 | -11.2% |
| 1997 | 2.21 | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 2.44 | +10.5% |
| 1999 | 2.52 | +3.2% |
| 2000 | 2.7 | +7.0% |
| 2001 | 2.57 | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 2.53 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.7 | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 2.83 | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 2.82 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 2.95 | +4.6% |
| 2007 | 2.99 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 2.48 | -16.9% |
| 2009 | 2.28 | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 2.34 | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 2.35 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 2.25 | -4.1% |
| 2013 | 2.47 | +9.9% |
| 2014 | 2.58 | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 2.84 | +10.1% |
| 2016 | 2.87 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 2.65 | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 2.74 | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 2.82 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 2.82 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2.84 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 2.85 | +0.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 2.85 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.75, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 2.85 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.68, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 3.16 | 2.84 | 3.4 | 7 |
| 1930s | 2.84 | 2.78 | 2.89 | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.51 | 2.23 | 2.79 | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.13 | 2.1 | 2.16 | 4 |
| 1960s | 2.03 | 1.96 | 2.06 | 6 |
| 1970s | 1.86 | 1.8 | 1.94 | 9 |
| 1980s | 2.09 | 1.99 | 2.28 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3 | 2.09 | 2.52 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.69 | 2.28 | 2.99 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.59 | 2.25 | 2.87 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.84 | 2.82 | 2.85 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0921 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5015 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland?
- Palma ratio (before tax) in Ireland was 2.85 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4 in 1922.
- What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8 in 1977.
- How does Ireland rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Ireland ranks 88th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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 — 89 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.