Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Palma ratio (before tax) was 7.75 in 2011. ▲ Rising
Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia, 1820–2011
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 7.75 for palma ratio (before tax) in 2011.
Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia peaked at 12.42 in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6.28, in 1820.
Saudi Arabia ranks 17th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 6.28 | — |
| 1850 | 7.01 | +11.5% |
| 1880 | 6.48 | -7.6% |
| 1900 | 7.86 | +21.3% |
| 1910 | 8.28 | +5.4% |
| 1920 | 9.06 | +9.4% |
| 1930 | 8.96 | -1.1% |
| 1940 | 8.96 | -0.1% |
| 1950 | 7.29 | -18.6% |
| 1960 | 9.48 | +30.0% |
| 1970 | 12.42 | +31.1% |
| 2011 | 7.75 | -37.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 7.75 is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.75, 2.8× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 7.75 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.82, 1.3× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 6.28 | 6.28 | 6.28 | 1 |
| 1850s | 7.01 | 7.01 | 7.01 | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.48 | 6.48 | 6.48 | 1 |
| 1900s | 7.86 | 7.86 | 7.86 | 1 |
| 1910s | 8.28 | 8.28 | 8.28 | 1 |
| 1920s | 9.06 | 9.06 | 9.06 | 1 |
| 1930s | 8.96 | 8.96 | 8.96 | 1 |
| 1940s | 8.96 | 8.96 | 8.96 | 1 |
| 1950s | 7.29 | 7.29 | 7.29 | 1 |
| 1960s | 9.48 | 9.48 | 9.48 | 1 |
| 1970s | 12.42 | 12.42 | 12.42 | 1 |
| 2010s | 7.75 | 7.75 | 7.75 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More reference data data for Saudi Arabia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1771 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6194 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2207 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9641 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia?
- Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia was 7.75 in 2011, 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 12.42 in 1970.
- What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.28 in 1820.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2011.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 12 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.