Gini index in China

China: Gini index was 36 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
36
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
49th
of 121 countries
All-time high
43.7
in 2010
All-time low
27.1
in 1984
Years of data
23
1981–2022

Gini index in China, 1981–2022

0102030401981200120221981: 28.21984: 27.11987: 29.41990: 32.21993: 33.91996: 35.21999: 38.72002: 422005: 40.92008: 432010: 43.72011: 42.42012: 42.22013: 39.72014: 39.22015: 38.62016: 38.52017: 39.12018: 38.52019: 38.22020: 37.12021: 35.72022: 36

Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gini index in China is 36, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gini index in China peaked at 43.7 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 27.1, in 1984.

That places China 49th out of 121 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 28.23 27.1 29.4 3
1990s 35 32.2 38.7 4
2000s 41.97 40.9 43 3
2010s 40.01 38.2 43.7 10
2020s 36.27 35.7 37.1 3

Countries ranked near China

  1. 46 Senegal 36.2 compare
  2. 47 Tajikistan 36.1 compare
  3. 47 Vietnam 36.1 compare
  4. 49 Lithuania 36 compare
  5. 51 Iran 35.9 compare
  6. 52 Mali 35.7 compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More poverty & inequality data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is gini index in China?
Gini index in China was 36 in 2022, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
What is the highest gini index recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 43.7 in 2010.
What is the lowest gini index recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 27.1 in 1984.
How does China rank for gini index?
China ranks 49th out of 121 countries with data for 2022.
Is gini index rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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

About this data

Indicator
Gini index
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,305 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.