Earnings Inequality by Country
38 countries • Factor of lowest earnings decile • OECD How's Life / Well-Being
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What It Measures
Gap between higher and lower earnings; higher values mean more unequal pay, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
At a Glance
World average
3.33
Middle country
3.15
Low end
2.21
High end
6.48
Countries
38
Data source
World Map
Highest & Lowest Earnings Inequality
Highest Earnings Inequality
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Czechia | 6.48 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #2 | Colombia | 5.42 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #3 | Chile | 5.18 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #4 | United States | 4.79 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #5 | Israel | 4.63 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #6 | Latvia | 4.37 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #7 | Poland | 3.83 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #8 | Hungary | 3.68 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #9 | South Korea | 3.60 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #10 | Australia | 3.49 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
Lowest Earnings Inequality
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #38 | Sweden | 2.21 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #37 | Norway | 2.30 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #36 | Italy | 2.33 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #35 | Iceland | 2.43 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #34 | Spain | 2.50 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #33 | Netherlands | 2.52 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #32 | Finland | 2.59 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #31 | Denmark | 2.60 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #30 | Belgium | 2.61 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
| #29 | New Zealand | 2.67 Factor of lowest earnings decile |
Worth a Double Take
Biggest ranking jump: #1 Czechia is 1.07 Factor of lowest earnings decile higher than #2 Colombia (6.48 Factor of lowest earnings decile vs 5.42 Factor of lowest earnings decile).
Another sharp ranking jump: #6 Latvia is 0.54 Factor of lowest earnings decile higher than #7 Poland (4.37 Factor of lowest earnings decile vs 3.83 Factor of lowest earnings decile).
Another sharp ranking jump: #3 Chile is 0.39 Factor of lowest earnings decile higher than #4 United States (5.18 Factor of lowest earnings decile vs 4.79 Factor of lowest earnings decile).