Income Gap (Rich vs Poor) by Country
37 countries • Factor of lowest income quintile • OECD How's Life / Well-Being
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What It Measures
Ratio comparing higher and lower household incomes; higher values mean a wider income gap, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
At a Glance
World average
5.47
Middle country
5.08
Low end
3.46
High end
12.267
Countries
37
Data source
World Map
Highest & Lowest Income Gap (Rich vs Poor)
Highest Income Gap (Rich vs Poor)
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Costa Rica | 12.27 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #2 | Chile | 10.12 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #3 | United States | 8.49 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #4 | Turkey | 8.05 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #5 | Mexico | 7.79 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #6 | United Kingdom | 6.68 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #7 | Lithuania | 6.54 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #8 | Japan | 6.35 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #9 | Israel | 6.34 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #10 | Latvia | 6.23 Factor of lowest income quintile |
Lowest Income Gap (Rich vs Poor)
| Rank | Country | Value |
|---|---|---|
| #37 | Slovakia | 3.46 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #36 | Iceland | 3.50 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #35 | Slovenia | 3.53 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #34 | Czechia | 3.54 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #33 | Belgium | 3.57 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #32 | Finland | 3.91 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #31 | Denmark | 3.97 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #30 | Norway | 3.97 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #29 | Poland | 4.10 Factor of lowest income quintile |
| #28 | Ireland | 4.15 Factor of lowest income quintile |
Worth a Double Take
Biggest ranking jump: #1 Costa Rica is 2.14 Factor of lowest income quintile higher than #2 Chile (12.27 Factor of lowest income quintile vs 10.12 Factor of lowest income quintile).
Another sharp ranking jump: #2 Chile is 1.63 Factor of lowest income quintile higher than #3 United States (10.12 Factor of lowest income quintile vs 8.49 Factor of lowest income quintile).
Another sharp ranking jump: #5 Mexico is 1.11 Factor of lowest income quintile higher than #6 United Kingdom (7.79 Factor of lowest income quintile vs 6.68 Factor of lowest income quintile).