Gini coefficient: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Gini ratio • Gini index

Photos

A photo of a brass balance scale with a globe on one side and stacks of coins on the other, symbolizing global inequality in wealth distribution.

Diagram showing how the Gini coefficient is calculated using the Lorenz curve to measure income inequality with shaded areas X and Y.

See All Images →

Topics

Income inequality distribution of wealth and income student aid distribution theory socioeconomic challenges in India What Did We Call America’s Elite Before the “1 Percent”?Economic Inequality subsidy Today in History—September 29: John D. Rockefeller Becomes the World’s First Billionaire standard of living How rich was John D. Rockefeller?bottom of the pyramid

Key People

default image

Corrado Gini

Italian statistician