Colombia: Gini index

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Colombia's gini index fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 54.6 to 54.4).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2023), the average change was −0.23 and a typical year strayed about 0.99 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.9 in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.4 in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.45 a year. A straight line explains 72% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Colombia had the 1st highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Colombia in the 2024 ranking

• Brazil — 2nd of 20: 50.3
• Panama — 3rd of 20: 49.7
• Honduras — 4th of 20: 45.7

What this measures

Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.

Limitations: Gini coefficients are not unique. It is possible for two different Lorenz curves to give rise to the same Gini coefficient. Furthermore it is possible for the Gini coefficient of a developing country to rise (due to increasing inequality of income) while the number of people in absolute poverty decreases. This is because the Gini coefficient measures relative, not absolute, wealth. Another limitation of the Gini coefficient is that it is not additive across groups, i.e. the total Gini of a society is not equal to the sum of the Gini's for its sub-groups.

All 30 values

Gini index in nearby economies

• Argentina — 42.4 (2024)
• Bolivia — 40.9 (2024)
• Brazil — 50.3 (2024)
• Chile — 43 (2024)
• Costa Rica — 45.5 (2025)
• Dominican Republic — 39 (2024)
• Ecuador — 45.9 (2025)
• El Salvador — 39.8 (2023)
• Honduras — 45.7 (2024)
• Mexico — 42.6 (2024)
• Panama — 49.7 (2024)
• Paraguay — 44.2 (2024)
• Peru — 40.1 (2024)
• Uruguay

More poverty data for Colombia

• Income share held by second 20% — 7.1% (2024)
• Income share held by third 20% — 11.5% (2024)
• Income share held by fourth 20% — 19.3% (2024)
• Income share held by highest 20% — 58.9% (2024)
• Income share held by highest 10% — 42.7% (2024)
• Income share held by lowest 10% — 1% (2024)
• Income share held by lowest 20% — 3.2% (2024)
• Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population) — 8.5% (2024)
• Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (%) — 3.3% (2024)
• Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Colombia's gini index?

54.4 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1980?

It is down 1.27% from 55.1 in 1980. The highest value was 58.5 in 1999 and the lowest 50.9 in 2017.

How does Colombia rank?

1st highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in gini index unusual for Colombia?

In 2024, Colombia's gini index fell 0.2 on 2023 (from 54.6 to 54.4). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1989 to 2023), the average change was −0.23 and a typical year strayed about 0.99 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SI.POV.GINI, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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