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Wealth distribution: Which nations are the best?

Last updated on: October 4, 2011 13:30 IST

Image: Japan's jewellery maker Ginza Tanaka's pure gold Santa Claus, valued at 200 million yen ($1.8 mn).
Photographs: Yuriko Nakao/Reuters.

Global wealth, currently held by 4.4 billion adults, has increased by 72 per cent since the year 2000 to reach $195 trillion.

The Credit Suisse Research Institute estimates that global wealth will grow by 61 per cent to $315 trillion by 2015, driven by robust economic expansion in the emerging markets.

However, unequal wealth distribution is a matter of concern. As the rich-poor gap is growing wider, how fairly is wealth distributed among people?

The higher a Gini coefficient the more unequal is the distribution of wealth. A low Gini coefficient indicates a more equal distribution, with 0 corresponding to complete equality, while higher Gini coefficients indicate more unequal distribution, with 1 corresponding to complete inequality.

Here's a list of 20 nations from the most equal to the most unequal in terms of distribution of wealth...

1. Japan

Household wealth in Japan is the second highest at $21 trillion.

Gini-Index (%): 54.7
Adult population (million): 100.933
Adult population (%): 2.7
Wealth per adult ($):227,600
Wealth (%):18.3

Image: A customer at Beijing's biggest gold shop looks at gold rings on display in central Beijing.
Photographs: David Gray/Reuters.

2. China

China has become the world's fastest-growing economy. Household wealth in China could more than double to $35 trillion by 2015 from $16.5 trillion.

Gini-Index (%): 55.0
Adult population (million): 842.063
Adult population (%): 22.8
Wealth per adult ($):3,885
Wealth (%): 2.6

...

Image: A woman walks past a shop window in a designer shopping area known for its luxurious shops in central Madrid.
Photographs: Andrea Comas/Reuters.

3. Spain

It is a developed country with the twelfth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP, and very high living standards.

Gini-Index (%): 57.0
Adult population (million): 32.165
Adult population (%):0.9
Wealth per adult ($): 86,958
Wealth (%): 2.2

...

Image: A woman holds a cake for her dog after a dog food cooking class in Seoul.
Photographs: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters.

4. South Korea

South Korea is a developed country with a very high standard of living. It is Asia's fourth largest economy and the world's 15th (nominal) or 12th (purchasing power parity) largest economy.

Gini-Index (%): 57.9
Adult population (million): 33.242
Adult population (%):0.9
Wealth per adult ($):41,777
Wealth (%):1.1

...

Image: Maggie, a Jack Russell terrier, peers from a
Photographs: Reuters.

5. Italy

Italy has been ranked the world's twenty-third most-developed country and its quality-of-life index has been ranked among the best in the world.

Italy enjoys a very high standard of living, and has a high nominal GDP per capita.

Gini-Index (%): 60.9
Adult population (million): 46.416
Adult population (%):1.3
Wealth per adult ($):122,250
Wealth (%): 4.5

...

Image: Welcomed by a four-tugboat salute, the new Carnival Spirit arrives at the Port of Miami-Dade in Helsinki.
Photographs: Reuters.

6. Finland

Finland has been ranked as one of the world's most peaceful, competitive and livable countries.

Finland has a highly industrialised mixed economy with a per capita output equal to that of other European economies such as France, Germany, Belgium or the UK.

Gini-Index (%): 62.1
Adult population (million): 3.328
Adult population (%): 0.09
Wealth per adult ($): 37,171
Wealth (%):0.15

...

Image: A Tarantula Brooch is positioned for display at a pearl exhibition in Sydney.
Photographs: Reuters.

7. Australia

A highly developed country, Australia is the world's thirteenth largest economy and has the world's seventh-highest per capita income.

Australia scores high on quality of life, health, education, economic freedom.

Gini-Index (%): 62.2
Adult population (million): 13.690
Adult population (%): 0.4
Wealth per adult ($): 94,712
Wealth (%): 1.0

...

Image: A cyclist makes his way over a snow covered bridge in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam.
Photographs: Reuters.

8. The Netherlands

The Netherlands has a capitalist market-based economy. Netherlands has been ranked as the 'happiest' country by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Gini-Index (%): 65.0
Adult population (million): 12.046
Adult population (%):0.3
Wealth per adult ($):144,406
Wealth (%):1.4

...

Image: A tourist takes a picture of a whale shark at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Checheng.
Photographs: Joel Boh/Reuters.

9. Taiwan

One of the Four Asian Tigers, Taiwan has transformed into an industrialised developed country.

It is considered an advanced economy by the IMF and as a high-income economy by the World Bank.

Gini-Index (%): 65.5
Adult population (million): 15.476
Adult population (%):0.4
Wealth per adult ($): 105,613
Wealth (%):1.3

...

Image: A crowded ferry heads upriver near the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.
Photographs: Reuters.

10. Bangladesh

Bangladesh remains a developing nation. if purchasing power parity (PPP) is taken into account, Bangladesh's economy is the 44th largest in the world at US$257 billion according to the IMF.

Gini-Index (%): 66.0
Adult population (million): 66.483
Adult population (%):1.8
Wealth per adult ($): 2424
Wealth (%): 0.1

...

Image: Tourists take part in a guided tour through the city on segways as they pass the Berlin cathedral in Berlin.
Photographs: Reuters.

11. Germany

Germany has the world's fourth largest economy by nominal GDP and the fifth largest by purchasing power parity.

The country has developed a very high standard of living and a comprehensive system of social security.

Gini-Index (%): 66.7
Adult population (million): 64.810
Adult population (%): 1.8
Wealth per adult ($):109,735
Wealth (%): 5.7

...

Image: Car enthusiasts take part in a vintage car rally in Chandigarh.
Photographs: Ajay Verma/Reuters.

12. India

India's wealth could nearly double to $6.4 trillion by 2015. India has become one of the fastest growing major economies.

Gini-Index (%): 66.9
Adult population (million): 570.595
Adult population (%):15.4
Wealth per adult ($):1,989
Wealth (%): 0.9

...

Image: Two elephants walk on the street to Nam Giao Esplanade, a sacred place in Vietnam's central city of Hue.
Photographs: Reuters.

13. Vietnam

One of world's fastest growing economies, Vietnam has the highest Global Growth Generators Index among 11 major economies.

Gini-Index (%): 68.2
Adult population (million): 44.025
Adult population (%):1.2
Wealth per adult ($):1,986
Wealth (%):0.1

...

Image: A jogger runs along the seawall in Stanley Park with the city skyline in the background.
Photographs: Andy Clark/Reuters.

14. Canada

Canada is one of the world's wealthiest nations, with a high per-capita income. It is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G8, and is one of the world's top ten trading nations.

Gini-Index (%): 68.8
Adult population (million): 22.764
Adult population (%): 0.6
Wealth per adult ($):95,606
Wealth (%):1.7

...

Image: Jessica Wyndham, a trainee specialist in Sotheby's jewellery department, holds a ruby, diamond and emerald brooch by Cartier.
Photographs: Andrew Winning/Reuters.

15. United Kingdom

The UK is a developed country and has the world's sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh-largest economy by purchasing power parity.

Gini-Index (%): 69.7
Adult population (million): 43.871
Adult population (%): 1.2
Wealth per adult ($): 169,617
Wealth (%): 5.9

...

Image: A jeweller sets stones in a gold pendant at a workshop in Lahore.
Photographs: Mohsin Raza/Reuters.

16. Pakistan

With a semi-industrialised economy, it is the 27th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power.

Gini-Index (%): 69.8
Adult population (million): 67.968
Adult population (%):1.8
Wealth per adult ($):2,633
Wealth (%): 0.1

...

Image: A Mecerdes Benz studded with crystal stones is seen at the Millionaire Fair of luxury goods in Moscow.
Photographs: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters.

17. Russia

Russia has the world's 11th largest economy by nominal GDP or the 6th largest by purchasing power parity.

Gini-Index (%):69.9
Adult population (million): 107.493
Adult population (%):2.9
Wealth per adult ($):4,140
Wealth (%):0.4

...

Image: A Thai woman displays pearls, the symbol of Phuket, at a pearl factory in Phuket.
Photographs: Reuters.

18. Thailand

Thailand is an emerging economy and considered as a newly industrialised country.

Gini-Index (%):71.0
Adult population (million): 40.160
Adult population (%):1.1
Wealth per adult ($):6,717
Wealth (%):0.2

...

Image: Skyscrapers in the city's business district shape the skyline over Gultepe district in Istanbul.

19. Turkey

Turkey has the world's 15th largest GDP (PPP) and 17th largest nominal GDP. The country is a founding member of the OECD and the G-20 major economies

Gini-Index (%): 71.8
Adult population (million): 40.391
Adult population (%):1.1
Wealth per adult ($):16,218
Wealth (%):0.5

...

Image: The Ferrari P4/5, designed by Pininfarina in Paris.
Photographs: Benoit Tessier/Reuters.

20. France

A member of the G8 group of leading industrialised countries, it is ranked as the world's fifth largest and Europe's second largest economy by nominal GDP.

Gini-Index (%): 73.0
Adult population (million): 44.358
Adult population (%): 1.2
Wealth per adult ($): 114,650
Wealth (%):4.1