Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia

Russia: Palma ratio (before tax) was 3.9 in 2017. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2017)
3.9
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
65th
of 113 countries
All-time high
9.29
in 1996
All-time low
0.9516
in 1968
Years of data
46
1820–2017

Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia, 1820–2017

0246810182019182017

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for palma ratio (before tax) in Russia is 3.9, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 30.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Russia peaked at 9.29 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.9516, in 1968.

Russia ranks 65th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia, year by year

Annual values for Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia, 1820 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1820 3.62
1850 3.69 +1.9%
1880 3.74 +1.4%
1900 4 +6.9%
1905 3.88 -3.1%
1928 1.05 -73.0%
1934 1.2 +14.8%
1956 1.48 +23.6%
1959 1.42 -4.3%
1961 1.35 -4.7%
1964 1.24 -8.5%
1966 1.1 -11.6%
1968 0.9516 -13.1%
1972 1.01 +6.2%
1976 1 -0.5%
1980 1.3 +29.4%
1985 1.3 +0.1%
1989 1.31 +0.7%
1990 1.21 -7.8%
1991 1.28 +6.2%
1992 2.25 +75.1%
1993 2.55 +13.8%
1994 4.04 +58.0%
1995 4.77 +18.3%
1996 9.29 +94.6%
1997 6.01 -35.3%
1998 4.71 -21.6%
1999 5.1 +8.3%
2000 5.66 +10.9%
2001 5.82 +2.8%
2002 5.37 -7.6%
2003 5.54 +3.0%
2004 5.26 -4.9%
2005 5.05 -4.1%
2006 5.49 +8.6%
2007 5.57 +1.5%
2008 6.11 +9.8%
2009 5.17 -15.5%
2010 4.17 -19.3%
2011 4.49 +7.6%
2012 4.08 -9.0%
2013 4.43 +8.3%
2014 4.03 -9.0%
2015 3.94 -2.1%
2016 3.98 +1.1%
2017 3.9 -2.2%

Russia compared with similar countries

  • Russia's 3.9 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.75, 1.4× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Russia's 3.9 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.68, 1.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1996 +94.6% 4.77 9.29
1928 -73.0% 3.88 1.05
1992 +75.1% 1.28 2.25

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1820s 3.62 3.62 3.62 1
1850s 3.69 3.69 3.69 1
1880s 3.74 3.74 3.74 1
1900s 3.94 3.88 4 2
1920s 1.05 1.05 1.05 1
1930s 1.2 1.2 1.2 1
1950s 1.45 1.42 1.48 2
1960s 1.16 0.9516 1.35 4
1970s 1.01 1 1.01 2
1980s 1.3 1.3 1.31 3
1990s 4.12 1.21 9.29 10
2000s 5.5 5.05 6.11 10
2010s 4.13 3.9 4.49 8

Countries ranked near Russia

  1. 62 Nigeria 4.06 compare
  2. 63 Guinea-Bissau 4.03 compare
  3. 64 Iran 3.95 compare
  4. 66 Kyrgyzstan 3.85 compare
  5. 67 Kazakhstan 3.79 compare
  6. 68 Tajikistan 3.73 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Russia

All data for Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio (before tax) in Russia?
Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia was 3.9 in 2017, 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 Russia?
The highest recorded value was 9.29 in 1996.
What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Russia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9516 in 1968.
How does Russia rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
Russia ranks 65th out of 113 countries with data for 2017.
Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Russia?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Russia 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 — 46 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia. Statizoid, drawing on World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/palma-ratio-wid/russian-federation/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/palma-ratio-wid/russian-federation/">Palma ratio (before tax) in Russia</a> — Statizoid

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.