Income share of the richest 20% in South Korea in 2021 — 40.3%. Ranked 33 in the world out of 81. Since 2006, the indicator has risen by 1.1 pp.
2006–2021 · % of income
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40.3 | +0 pp |
| 2020 | 40.3 | −0.2 pp |
| 2019 | 40.5 | −0.2 pp |
| 2018 | 40.7 | −0.9 pp |
| 2017 | 41.6 | −0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 41.9 | — |
| 2014 | 38.9 | — |
| 2012 | 39 | — |
| 2010 | 39.5 | — |
| 2008 | 39.8 | — |
| 2006 | 39.2 | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
South Korea
40.3
China
43.6
The share of total income or consumption that goes to the richest twenty percent of the population. Under complete equality it would be twenty percent; in the most unequal countries of Latin America and Southern Africa it comes to more than sixty. The ratio of this share to the share of the poorest quintile — the quintile ratio, S80/S20 — was historically the first measure of inequality, and it speaks more clearly than the Gini index about the gap between the poles.
Important: There are no aggregates for country groups for the same reason as with the Gini index: the quintile of a group is not a union of national quintiles. Household surveys systematically understate the incomes of the richest, so real inequality is higher than measured.
Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.
What part of all income in a country goes to its poorest fifth of the population.
Labor Gini indexA measure of income inequality: 0 is complete equality, 100 is maximum inequality.
Labor Poverty at $6.85 a dayThe share of people living on less than $6.85 a day — the line for upper-middle-income countries.
Labor Unemployment rate (IMF)Unemployment as estimated by the IMF — with a forecast, for countries with reliable labor market statistics.
Labor Unemployment rateThe share of the labor force that is looking for work and available to start.
Labor Youth unemploymentThe unemployment rate at ages 15–24 — almost always two to three times the overall rate.