Prosperity gap in China

China: Prosperity gap was 2.4 in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
2.4
Change on year
up 0.9%
World rank
65th
of 120 countries
All-time high
27.49
in 1981
All-time low
2.38
in 2021
Years of data
23
1981–2022

Prosperity gap in China, 1981–2022

01020301981200120221981: 27.51984: 20.41987: 17.51990: 181993: 16.51996: 131999: 12.82002: 11.12005: 8.32008: 7.32010: 6.32011: 5.72012: 5.22013: 4.22014: 3.92015: 3.62016: 3.32017: 3.22018: 32019: 2.72020: 2.72021: 2.42022: 2.4

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, prosperity gap in China stood at 2.4.

The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 53.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prosperity gap in China peaked at 27.49 in 1981 and was at its lowest, 2.38, in 2021.

China ranks 65th of 120 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 21.77 17.47 27.49 3
1990s 15.09 12.81 18.03 4
2000s 8.86 7.25 11.05 3
2010s 4.1 2.74 6.31 10
2020s 2.51 2.38 2.75 3

Countries ranked near China

  1. 62 Albania 2.51 compare
  2. 63 Paraguay 2.49 compare
  3. 64 Panama 2.45 compare
  4. 66 Bolivia 2.38 compare
  5. 67 Uzbekistan 2.37 compare
  6. 68 Kazakhstan 2.37 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is prosperity gap in China?
Prosperity gap in China was 2.4 in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 27.49 in 1981.
What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 2.38 in 2021.
How does China rank for prosperity gap?
China ranks 65th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
Is prosperity gap rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Prosperity gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Prosperity gap
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Average factor by which incomes need to be multiplied to bring everyone to the prosperity standard of $28 per person per day.