Data for 1998

Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1998

1998, as Frederick Solt’s 2026 release gives it · stored as published, never rewritten

Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1998 covers 147 countries on 2 measures. Namibia is highest, at 65.7; Denmark is lowest, at 22.5. The middle country reads 39.7. Against 1997, 117 values changed (70 up, 47 down), 2 countries joined.

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Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) · Data for 1998

HighestNamibia

65.7

LowestDenmark

22.5

Shaded by value in five groups of equal size, darkest at the lowest end. A higher value is the worse result.

147countries
2measures per country
1998the year it describes
111distinct values1 decimal, as published
Sep 29, 2026read from the publisher
Public domain or CC0licence

01Position · derived

The table

Every country and every column of Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1998, as published. Frederick Solt ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. “=” marks a shared position.

Search this table

Showing 25 of 147 countries · select a heading to sort

Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1998: every country, as published by Frederick Solt, University of Iowa.
derived
1	NamibiaNAMSouthern Africa	65.7	3.05
2	South AfricaZAFSouthern Africa	61.8	1.97
3	EswatiniSWZSouthern Africa	57.4	3.82
4	BotswanaBWASouthern Africa	57.0	3.13
5	BrazilBRASouth America	55.7	0.45
6	ZambiaZMBEastern Africa	53.4	2.35
7	ParaguayPRYSouth America	53.2	1.27
8	BoliviaBOLSouth America	53.1	1.35
9	BelizeBLZCentral America	52.3	2.64
=10	Central African RepublicCAFMiddle Africa	52.1	4.13
=10	PeruPERSouth America	52.1	0.99
12	HondurasHNDCentral America	52.0	1.65
13	PanamaPANCentral America	51.9	0.85
14	LesothoLSOSouthern Africa	51.8	4.10
15	ColombiaCOLSouth America	51.6	1.55
16	EcuadorECUSouth America	51.2	1.83
17	ChileCHLSouth America	50.8	0.99
=18	GuatemalaGTMCentral America	50.4	1.59
=18	NicaraguaNICCentral America	50.4	1.69
20	Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVCTCaribbean	50.2	5.51
21	Puerto RicoPRICaribbean	49.8	2.99
22	MexicoMEXCentral America	49.4	1.22
=23	Côte d’IvoireCIVWestern Africa	49.2	2.00
=23	MalawiMWIEastern Africa	49.2	2.82
25	RwandaRWAEastern Africa	48.5	2.57
26	ZimbabweZWEEastern Africa	48.2	3.37
27	El SalvadorSLVCentral America	47.9	1.60
=28	Dominican RepublicDOMCaribbean	47.5	1.37
=28	GrenadaGRDCaribbean	47.5	3.66
=28	Papua New GuineaPNGMelanesia	47.5	3.77
=28	SudanSDNNorthern Africa	47.5	3.80
32	Burkina FasoBFAWestern Africa	47.3	2.33
33	KenyaKENEastern Africa	47.0	2.20
34	Saint LuciaLCACaribbean	46.4	3.45
35	ArgentinaARGSouth America	46.0	1.07
36	GambiaGMBWestern Africa	45.7	2.77
37	GuyanaGUYSouth America	45.6	3.13
38	MozambiqueMOZEastern Africa	45.4	2.26
39	Sri LankaLKASouthern Asia	45.3	2.33
40	BarbadosBRBCaribbean	44.8	3.40
=41	CameroonCMRMiddle Africa	44.2	2.77
=41	JamaicaJAMCaribbean	44.2	1.77
43	ThailandTHASouth-eastern Asia	44.0	1.45
44	MadagascarMDGEastern Africa	43.8	2.42
=45	Costa RicaCRICentral America	43.3	1.11
=45	Sierra LeoneSLEWestern Africa	43.3	3.28
=47	PhilippinesPHLSouth-eastern Asia	43.2	2.10
=47	VenezuelaVENSouth America	43.2	1.22
=49	MicronesiaFSMMicronesia	43.1	4.00
=49	NigeriaNGAWestern Africa	43.1	2.76
=49	UgandaUGAEastern Africa	43.1	2.16
=52	GuineaGINWestern Africa	42.9	2.45
=52	Trinidad and TobagoTTOCaribbean	42.9	3.40
54	MalaysiaMYSSouth-eastern Asia	42.8	2.05
55	TanzaniaTZAEastern Africa	42.7	2.44
56	IndiaINDSouthern Asia	42.5	1.63
57	IranIRNSouthern Asia	42.4	1.20
58	Guinea-BissauGNBWestern Africa	42.2	2.85
59	SenegalSENWestern Africa	42.0	2.67
60	MaliMLIWestern Africa	41.9	2.48
=61	IndonesiaIDNSouth-eastern Asia	41.5	1.39
=61	TürkiyeTURWestern Asia	41.5	2.24
=63	GhanaGHAWestern Africa	41.2	2.22
=63	TunisiaTUNNorthern Africa	41.2	2.63
65	MauritaniaMRTWestern Africa	41.0	2.15
=66	DjiboutiDJIEastern Africa	40.9	3.12
=66	FijiFJIMelanesia	40.9	2.93
=66	TuvaluTUVPolynesia	40.9	3.97
69	MoroccoMARNorthern Africa	40.6	2.01
=70	ArmeniaARMWestern Asia	40.1	1.58
=70	UruguayURYSouth America	40.1	0.72
72	NigerNERWestern Africa	39.8	2.93
=73	BurundiBDIEastern Africa	39.7	2.57
=73	TajikistanTJKCentral Asia	39.7	2.18
75	Hong KongHKGEastern Asia	39.5	2.47
76	JordanJORWestern Asia	39.3	1.90
77	GeorgiaGEOWestern Asia	38.8	1.31
=78	MoldovaMDAEastern Europe	38.4	1.44
=78	SingaporeSGPSouth-eastern Asia	38.4	2.03
80	QatarQATWestern Asia	38.3	3.90
81	LebanonLBNWestern Asia	38.2	3.40
82	NepalNPLSouthern Asia	37.8	2.41
83	MauritiusMUSEastern Africa	37.4	2.56
=84	CambodiaKHMSouth-eastern Asia	37.2	3.81
=84	ChinaCHNEastern Asia	37.2	1.10
86	PalestinePSEWestern Asia	37.1	1.91
87	KyrgyzstanKGZCentral Asia	36.9	1.16
88	United StatesUSANorthern America	36.8	0.61
89	RussiaRUSEastern Europe	36.7	1.05
=90	TongaTONPolynesia	36.3	2.68
=90	YemenYEMWestern Asia	36.3	2.29
=92	SyriaSYRWestern Asia	36.2	2.52
=92	VietnamVNMSouth-eastern Asia	36.2	1.67
=94	AlbaniaALBSouthern Europe	36.1	2.42
=94	KuwaitKWTWestern Asia	36.1	3.43
96	AlgeriaDZANorthern Africa	36.0	2.79
97	LaosLAOSouth-eastern Asia	35.0	2.15
98	UzbekistanUZBCentral Asia	34.6	1.74
=99	EstoniaESTNorthern Europe	34.4	1.05
=99	United KingdomGBRNorthern Europe	34.4	0.69
=101	GreeceGRCSouthern Europe	34.2	1.31
=101	IsraelISRWestern Asia	34.2	1.25
=101	PakistanPAKSouthern Asia	34.2	1.86
=101	TurkmenistanTKMCentral Asia	34.2	2.28
=105	ItalyITASouthern Europe	33.9	1.17
=105	MongoliaMNGEastern Asia	33.9	2.37
107	South KoreaKOREastern Asia	33.6	1.07
108	EthiopiaETHEastern Africa	33.4	2.08
=109	BangladeshBGDSouthern Asia	33.0	2.00
=109	SpainESPSouthern Europe	33.0	1.14
111	New ZealandNZLAustralia and New Zealand	32.9	1.17
112	EgyptEGYNorthern Africa	32.6	1.22
113	BulgariaBGREastern Europe	32.4	1.55
114	IrelandIRLNorthern Europe	32.3	1.61
115	LithuaniaLTUNorthern Europe	31.5	1.35
=116	AustraliaAUSAustralia and New Zealand	31.4	1.39
=116	KazakhstanKAZCentral Asia	31.4	1.70
=118	AzerbaijanAZEWestern Asia	31.3	1.91
=118	LatviaLVANorthern Europe	31.3	1.40
=118	PortugalPRTSouthern Europe	31.3	1.66
121	CanadaCANNorthern America	31.0	0.67
122	SerbiaSRBSouthern Europe	30.9	1.57
123	UkraineUKREastern Europe	30.7	1.30
124	North MacedoniaMKDSouthern Europe	30.5	1.59
=125	CyprusCYPWestern Asia	29.4	2.70
=125	JapanJPNEastern Asia	29.4	1.28
127	PolandPOLEastern Europe	29.2	0.74
128	TaiwanTWNEastern Asia	29.0	0.84
129	SwitzerlandCHEWestern Europe	28.7	1.65
130	RomaniaROUEastern Europe	28.6	0.93
=131	CroatiaHRVSouthern Europe	28.3	1.68
=131	FranceFRAWestern Europe	28.3	0.35
133	HungaryHUNEastern Europe	28.0	0.85
134	AustriaAUTWestern Europe	26.4	1.01
135	LuxembourgLUXWestern Europe	26.1	0.85
136	BelgiumBELWestern Europe	25.5	1.28
137	GermanyDEUWestern Europe	25.4	0.66
138	SwedenSWENorthern Europe	25.3	0.84
=139	BelarusBLREastern Europe	25.2	0.93
=139	IcelandISLNorthern Europe	25.2	0.97
=139	NetherlandsNLDWestern Europe	25.2	1.17
142	SlovakiaSVKEastern Europe	25.0	1.22
143	CzechiaCZEEastern Europe	24.7	1.10
144	NorwayNORNorthern Europe	24.4	0.82
145	FinlandFINNorthern Europe	24.1	0.68
146	SloveniaSVNSouthern Europe	23.3	0.85
147	DenmarkDNKNorthern Europe	22.5	0.91

02In 1998

At either end

The 5 countries at each end of the headline, then the highest and lowest on each other measure.

Highest

1Namibia65.7
2South Africa61.8
3Eswatini57.4
4Botswana57.0
5Brazil55.7

Lowest

147Denmark22.5
146Slovenia23.3
145Finland24.1
144Norway24.4
143Czechia24.7

A higher value is the worse result. The middle country reads 39.7. “Shared” marks a value another country also holds.

Each measure’s ends

Standard error of the estimate (Gini points)
HighestSaint Vincent and the Grenadines5.51
LowestFrance0.35
Middle country: 1.83

031997 → 1998

Since 1997

What changed between 1997 and this one: who joined or left, and how far the headline moved.

+2 / −0countries joined / left
117values changed, of 145 in both
70 · 47rose · fell
28unchanged

Rose most

Tajikistan38.8 → 39.7+0.9
Georgia37.9 → 38.8+0.9
Bolivia52.3 → 53.1+0.8
Uruguay39.4 → 40.1+0.7
Belarus24.5 → 25.2+0.7

Fell most

Poland29.8 → 29.2−0.6
Ukraine31.3 → 30.7−0.6
Malawi49.8 → 49.2−0.6
Ethiopia33.9 → 33.4−0.5
Netherlands25.7 → 25.2−0.5

+ Micronesia

+ Grenada

Both years come from the same release, so a difference here is a change in the data, not a revision of it. Every country’s full history is charted on the statistic page.

04Caveats

Read before you use

What this edition’s numbers are and are not, worked out from the file itself.

The site’s method

One year of the 2026 release
Every year in this series comes from Frederick Solt’s 2026 release, recalculated on one method. It can differ from what was first published for 1998.
111 distinct values among 147
Values are stored exactly as published, to 1 decimal. 4 countries share 47.5. Countries sharing a value share a position too.
The position is ours
Frederick Solt publishes values only. The order here sorts the published values, and the page says so wherever it prints one.
Which end is better
A higher value is the worse result.
Nothing missing
Every one of the 147 countries has every column.

05The files

Download and cite

The table as a file, digit for digit, what this site changed, and a citation for this edition.

Licence in full

.csv
For a spreadsheet or code
147 rows · 4.7 KB · UTF-8, opens in Excel
Opens with 11 lines of source notes; the table starts on row 13.
Download gini-disposable-income-1998-nations-inquiry.csv
↗
The publisher’s original
Frederick Solt’s own file, on its own site.
13657070

What this site changed: Reshaped into one row per country: regional and income-group totals are left out, only the columns listed are kept, each row gets its ISO 3166 code, and some country names are brought to one spelling. No value is recalculated, rescaled or rounded.

Licence: CC0 1.0. No conditions at all. Crediting the publisher is still the courteous thing to do.

Cite this edition

Frederick Solt, University of Iowa (1998). Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1998 [data set], describing 1998. As held by Nations Inquiry, https://nationsinquiry.com/datasets/gini-disposable-income/1998

0644 held

Other years

‹ The year before
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1997
145 countries
The year after ›
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 1999
150 countries
All of them
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID): every year
44 held, with the data dictionary, coverage and licence.
How it has moved, charted by country

07Questions