Countries by Earnings Inequality

What Earnings Gap (Top 10% vs Bottom 10%) Measures

Earnings Gap (Top 10% vs Bottom 10%) is a comparative indicator tracked across countries by the OECD. It provides a quantitative basis for cross-national comparison, enabling researchers and policymakers to benchmark national performance on this dimension against global peers.

Why This Ranking Matters

Examining Earnings Gap (Top 10% vs Bottom 10%) across all countries reveals patterns that might not be obvious at the national level. Regional clusters, outlier nations, and historical trajectories all become clearer when the full global picture is assembled in a single ranking.

Global Range

Values range from 2.21 (Sweden) to 6.48 (Czechia) — a 3-fold difference across 38 countries.

Regional Patterns

European countries dominate this ranking, holding 11 of the top 20 positions. This strong regional concentration suggests shared economic, geographic, or policy factors that drive higher values across the continent.

Values are broadly distributed across countries, with the middle 50% ranging from 2.67 to 3.49. The overall spread from 2.21 to 6.48 reflects significant global variation.

Notable Outliers

The top of the ranking is competitive: Czechia and Colombia are separated by only 20%, indicating that the leading positions could shift with updated data. The bottom five countries are all from Europe, pointing to regional challenges that affect earnings gap (top 10% vs bottom 10%) across the continent.

Continental Leaders

Europe

Czechia

6.48

North America

Colombia

5.42

South America

Chile

5.18

Asia

Israel

4.63

Oceania

Australia

3.49