India Ranked 4th Most Equal Society Globally in World Bank’s 2025 Gini Index.
Index
India has been ranked the 4th most equal society in the world in terms of income distribution, according to the World Bank’s Gini Index 2025, based on data for the year 2022–23.
- India achieved a Gini score of 25.5, placing it just behind the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Belarus, and ahead of all major global economies including the US and China.
- The Gini Index, a widely used measure of income inequality, ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 100 (complete inequality). India’s score of 25.5 places it in the “moderately low inequality” category (25–30) and brings it close to the “low inequality” group (below 25). This marks a significant step forward for India in terms of inclusive growth and equitable income distribution across its population.
- India’s Gini score improved from 28.8 in 2011–12 to 25.5 in 2022–23, reflecting the impact of sustained poverty reduction and inclusive welfare efforts.
Main Point :- (i) India now ranks ahead of major developed and emerging economies such as the United States (Gini 41.8) and China (Gini 35.7), and also surpasses all other G7 and G20 countries in income equality. The data reinforces India’s position as a global example of equitable growth in the developing world.
(ii) This progress has been supported by flagship government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, Ayushman Bharat, and Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). These programmes have enhanced financial inclusion, access to healthcare, food security, and basic income stability, thereby directly impacting income equality among the rural and urban poor.
(iii) The World Bank also noted a dramatic reduction in extreme poverty in India. Between 2011–12 and 2022–23, nearly 171 million Indians were lifted out of extreme poverty (living on less than $2.15/day), and the extreme poverty rate fell from 16.2% to just 2.3%. Using a higher poverty line of $3/day, the poverty rate stands at 5.3%, further validating the country’s socio-economic transformation in the past decade.
About World Bank
CFO: Anshula Kant
Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
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