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Fact check: What are the Gini coefficients for the US and other developed countries?
Executive Summary
The available analyses show consistent agreement that the United States has notably higher income inequality than most Western European and many OECD peers, but reported Gini values differ because sources use different scales and reference years. Official series in the provided material report the U.S. Gini around 0.48–0.49 (0–1 scale) for 2022 and 41.1–41.8 (0–100 scale) in recent World Bank/FRED publications, while cross‑country snapshots place U.S. inequality well above Nordic and Central European countries and below outliers like South Africa (where cited Gini is much higher) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Why reported U.S. Gini numbers vary — scale, year and source disagreements that matter
The collected analyses show multiple numeric representations for the U.S. Gini that are consistent once you adjust for scale and timing. One set of sources reports a Gini of 0.488 in 2022, noting a 1.2% decline from 2021 driven by falling real incomes at middle and top incomes (0–1 scale) [1] [6]. Another pair cites the World Bank/FRED series that lists U.S. Gini around 41.1–41.8 (percent form) for recent years; these are the same concept expressed on a 0–100 scale [2] [3]. A separate June 2025 snapshot gives 0.39 for the U.S. in an OECD/Statista compilation, which appears lower because it likely uses a different methodological vintage, country coverage, or functional income definition [4]. These differences illustrate how methodology, sampling period and whether values are reported on a 0–1 or 0–100 scale drive apparent contradictions.
2. The U.S. stands out among developed countries — where it sits in OECD and World Bank snapshots
Across the provided cross‑country sources, the U.S. consistently ranks above most Nordic and many central European countries. The World Bank notes Nordic and Central Eastern European countries dominate the lowest Gini scores, typically in the mid‑20s to low‑30s on the 0–100 scale, which is substantially lower than the U.S. figure around 41 [3]. The OECD’s Society at a Glance 2024 synthesis similarly reports Gini values ranging from about 0.22 in the Slovak Republic to over 0.45 in Chile, placing the U.S. higher than many European peers though below Latin American extremes [5]. A Statista/OECD snapshot from June 2025 lists Slovakia at 0.23 and South Africa at 0.62, reinforcing the pattern that the U.S. is more unequal than most developed European economies but less unequal than several developing and emerging economies [4].
3. Small year‑to‑year shifts: falling U.S. inequality in 2022 but long‑run rise since the 1990s
One analysis highlights a measurable decline in U.S. inequality between 2021 and 2022 (from 0.494 to 0.488, a 1.2% drop), attributing the change to real income declines at the middle and top of the distribution rather than broad gains at the bottom [1]. That same source emphasizes the long‑term trend: a 7.6% increase in the U.S. Gini since 1993, meaning the recent one‑year decline sits on top of a multi‑decadal rise in inequality [6]. These contrasting temporal scales matter: short‑run volatility can mask persistent structural divergence from more equal OECD peers, so single‑year improvements should not be equated with reversal of long‑run trends.
4. Methodology caveats: income definition, household adjustments, and data vintage shift rankings
The analyses note that differences in income definition (market vs disposable income), household equivalisation, tax and transfer treatment, and the vintage of survey versus administrative data substantially affect Gini estimates across countries. The Institute for Fiscal Studies material discusses these measurement subtleties without giving a single numeric figure, underscoring that cross‑country comparisons depend on harmonization choices [7]. OECD and World Bank summaries use harmonized frameworks but still reflect different underlying years and sample frames, producing variation such as the Statista/OECD 0.39 snapshot versus other series near 0.48/41. These methodological choices are the primary reason why no single number tells the whole story.
5. What to conclude and what to watch next — consistent pattern, watch the methodology and timing
The combined evidence establishes a clear conclusion: the United States exhibits higher income inequality than most Nordic and many central European OECD countries, with U.S. Gini estimates clustering around 0.48 (0–1 scale) or ~41 (0–100 scale) in recent data, but cross‑country snapshots and single‑year changes vary by source and method [1] [2] [3] [5]. Analysts and policymakers should compare like‑for‑like series—same scale, same income definition and the same year—before drawing policy inferences. Future releases from the OECD, World Bank and national statistical agencies will refine year‑to‑year movements and should be consulted for any targeted comparisons or policy evaluation [5] [3].