Palma ratio (before tax) in Switzerland

Switzerland: Palma ratio (before tax) was 2.11 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
2.11
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
106th
of 113 countries
All-time high
2.81
in 1939
All-time low
1.73
in 1979
Years of data
56
1933–2022

Palma ratio (before tax) in Switzerland, 1933–2022

0123193319772022

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

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 2.11 for palma ratio (before tax) in 2022.

That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Switzerland peaked at 2.81 in 1939 and was at its lowest, 1.73, in 1979.

That places Switzerland 106th out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1930s 2.78 2.77 2.81 4
1940s 2.46 2.21 2.72 5
1950s 2.15 2.14 2.15 5
1960s 2.04 1.96 2.13 5
1970s 1.81 1.73 1.91 5
1980s 1.96 1.91 2.01 5
1990s 1.99 1.88 2.1 6
2000s 2.17 1.97 2.41 10
2010s 2.16 1.99 2.31 8
2020s 2.03 1.99 2.11 3

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 103 Italy 2.27 compare
  2. 104 Finland 2.19 compare
  3. 105 Netherlands 2.11 compare
  4. 107 Austria 2.05 compare
  5. 108 Slovenia 1.92 compare
  6. 109 Norway 1.89 compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is palma ratio (before tax) in Switzerland?
Palma ratio (before tax) in Switzerland was 2.11 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 Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 2.81 in 1939.
What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.73 in 1979.
How does Switzerland rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
Switzerland ranks 106th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland 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.

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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.