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%
Rank
88th
of 113 regions
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

0123192219722022

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 regions 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 85 Bosnia and Herzegovina 3.01 compare
  2. 86 Poland 2.97 compare
  3. 87 Malaysia 2.86 compare
  4. 89 Croatia 2.85 compare
  5. 90 New Zealand 2.75 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

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 regions 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

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.