Gini Coefficient

Inequality measure from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (one recipient takes all), derived from the Lorenz curve.

Specifications & Metrics

type

Coincident

frequency

Annual

publisher

World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform

Core Principles & Analysis

• Corrado Gini published the coefficient in 1912; Max Lorenz had drawn the curve in 1905.
• It is scale-independent, so countries with very different average incomes compare directly.
• Very different distributions can share one Gini value because crossing Lorenz curves can enclose equal areas.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Gini coefficient