Palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Palma ratio (before tax) was 10.09 in 2019. ▲ Rising
Palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe, 1917–2019
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2019, palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe stood at 10.09. That is the highest value across all 60 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 38.6% on the previous year and up 48.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe peaked at 10.09 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.31, in 1978.
That places Zimbabwe 11th out of 113 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | 6.85 | — |
| 1918 | 7.11 | +3.9% |
| 1919 | 6.9 | -3.0% |
| 1920 | 7.1 | +2.9% |
| 1921 | 6.98 | -1.7% |
| 1922 | 7.12 | +2.0% |
| 1923 | 6.89 | -3.1% |
| 1924 | 7.09 | +2.9% |
| 1925 | 7.16 | +1.0% |
| 1926 | 7.31 | +2.0% |
| 1927 | 7.36 | +0.7% |
| 1928 | 7.3 | -0.7% |
| 1929 | 7.41 | +1.4% |
| 1930 | 7.25 | -2.2% |
| 1931 | 7.41 | +2.2% |
| 1932 | 7.29 | -1.5% |
| 1933 | 7.54 | +3.3% |
| 1934 | 7.46 | -1.0% |
| 1935 | 7.39 | -0.9% |
| 1936 | 7.43 | +0.5% |
| 1937 | 7.43 | -0.0% |
| 1938 | 7.33 | -1.3% |
| 1939 | 7.31 | -0.3% |
| 1945 | 7.54 | +3.3% |
| 1946 | 7.77 | +3.0% |
| 1947 | 7.68 | -1.1% |
| 1948 | 7.64 | -0.5% |
| 1949 | 7.66 | +0.3% |
| 1950 | 7.58 | -1.1% |
| 1951 | 7.66 | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 7.92 | +3.4% |
| 1953 | 7.96 | +0.5% |
| 1954 | 8.2 | +3.0% |
| 1955 | 8.46 | +3.2% |
| 1956 | 8.62 | +1.9% |
| 1957 | 8.8 | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 9.03 | +2.5% |
| 1959 | 9.2 | +1.9% |
| 1960 | 9.55 | +3.8% |
| 1961 | 9.22 | -3.5% |
| 1962 | 9.09 | -1.3% |
| 1963 | 8.69 | -4.4% |
| 1964 | 8.55 | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 8.42 | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 8.1 | -3.7% |
| 1967 | 7.95 | -1.9% |
| 1968 | 7.83 | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 7.62 | -2.8% |
| 1970 | 7.59 | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 7.45 | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 7.2 | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 7.15 | -0.7% |
| 1974 | 6.94 | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 6.74 | -2.9% |
| 1976 | 6.65 | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 6.44 | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 6.31 | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 6.81 | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 7.28 | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 10.09 | +38.6% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 10.09 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.17, 2.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 10.09 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.07, 2.0× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +38.6% | 7.28 | 10.09 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6.95 | 6.85 | 7.11 | 3 |
| 1920s | 7.17 | 6.89 | 7.41 | 10 |
| 1930s | 7.38 | 7.25 | 7.54 | 10 |
| 1940s | 7.66 | 7.54 | 7.77 | 5 |
| 1950s | 8.34 | 7.58 | 9.2 | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.5 | 7.62 | 9.55 | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.94 | 6.31 | 7.59 | 9 |
| 2010s | 8.06 | 6.81 | 10.09 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 11,077 2010 = 100 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe?
- Palma ratio (before tax) in Zimbabwe was 10.09 in 2019, 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 10.09 in 2019.
- What is the lowest palma ratio (before tax) recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.31 in 1978.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for palma ratio (before tax)?
- Zimbabwe ranks 11th out of 113 countries with data for 2019.
- Is palma ratio (before tax) rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 — 60 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.