Panama vs South Africa: Income inequality: Palma ratio (after tax)
Panama
2.48
in 2019
South Africa
6.83
in 2017
Panama rank
4th
South Africa rank
1st
Income inequality: Palma ratio (after tax) over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 6.83 against 2.48 in Panama, a difference of 4.35.
That makes South Africa's figure about 2.8 times Panama's.
Across all 5 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Panama ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 1st of 48 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.98 | 9.04 | 6.07 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.72 | 7.56 | 4.83 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher income inequality: palma ratio (after tax), Panama or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 6.83 against 2.48 in Panama as of 2017.
- What is the difference in income inequality: palma ratio (after tax) between Panama and South Africa?
- 4.35, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2017.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for income inequality: palma ratio (after tax)?
- Panama ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 1st of 48 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Luxembourg Income Study (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Income inequality: Palma ratio (after tax). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The Palma ratio is a measure of inequality that divides the share received by the richest 10% by the share of the poorest 40%. Higher values indicate higher inequality. Inequality is measured here in terms of income after taxes and benefits.