Income Inequality in Developed Economies Expressed as Gini coefficients, where 0 indicates absolute equality and absolute inequality. (2010 data, except as noted)
With more attention being paid to economic inequality in the United States, it’s also worth looking at how the nation compares globally. As it happens, the U.S. has one of the most unequal income distributions in the developed world, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — even after taxes and social-welfare policies are taken into account.
Income Inequality in Developed Economies  | Expressed as Gini coefficients, where 0 indicates absolute equality  | and absolute inequality. (2010 data, except as noted)  | ABSOLUTE  | After taxes  | Before taxes  | EQUALITY  | and transfers  | and transfers  | .591  | Ireland*  | .331  | .526  | Chile**  | .501  | .523  | Britain  | 341  | .522  | Greece  | .337  | .522  | Portugal  | .344  | .507  | Spain  | 338  | .505  | France  | .303  | .503  | Italy  | .319  | .501  | Israel  | 376  | United States  | .499  | .380  | Germany  | .492  | .286  | .488  | Japan*  | 336  | Estonia  | .487  | .119  | .479  | Austria  | 267  | .779  | Finland  | .260  | .778  | Belgium  | .262  | .469  | Australia  | 334  | .468  | Poland  | .305  | .464  | Luxem bourg  | .270  | .454  | New Zealand*  | .317  | .453  | Slovenia  | 246  | .449  | Czech Republic  | .256  | .447  | Canada  | .320  | .441  | Sweden  | 269  | .437  | Slovakia  | 261  | .229  | Denmark  | .252  | .424  | Netherlands  | .288  | .223  | Norway  | .249  | .393  | Iceland  | .444  | Switzerland*  | .372  | .998  | .3.242  | South Korea  | 331  | *2009 data ** 2011 data  | Source: OECD  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 