Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Palma ratio (before tax) was 7.75 in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
7.75
World rank
17th
of 113 countries
All-time high
12.42
in 1970
All-time low
6.28
in 1820
Years of data
12
1820–2011

Palma ratio (before tax) in Saudi Arabia, 1820–2011

02.557.51012.51820191520111820: 6.31850: 71880: 6.51900: 7.91910: 8.31920: 9.11930: 91940: 91950: 7.31960: 9.51970: 12.42011: 7.7

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 14 Palestine 8.39 compare
  2. 15 Ecuador 8.23 compare
  3. 16 Thailand 7.9 compare
  4. 18 Dominican Republic 7.67 compare
  5. 19 Lebanon 7.46 compare
  6. 20 Taiwan 6.98 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

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

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.