India ranks 4th in income equality; beats US, China, G7 and G20 nations: World Bank

India has earned the 4th spot globally for income equality, ahead of countries like the US, China, and even major G7 and G20 economies. This remarkable achievement is based on the World Bank’s Gini Index, where India scored 25.5—a strong sign of fairer income distribution. Only Slovakia, Slovenia, and Belarus rank higher.

Back in 2011, India’s score was 28.8, so this progress is no small feat. The lower the Gini score, the more equally income is spread across citizens.

India’s journey to this point is backed by focused efforts on reducing poverty and ensuring financial access for all. In the last 12 years alone, 171 million Indians rose out of extreme poverty. Poverty dropped sharply from 16.2 percent to just 2.3 percent.

Schemes like PM Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and Direct Benefit Transfers have made a huge difference. Aadhaar helped reach the most vulnerable directly, saving a massive ₹3.48 lakh crore. Over 55 crore bank accounts were opened and 41 crore health cards issued.

India is proving that economic growth and fairness can go hand in hand. With continued focus, India could soon break into the world’s top 3 most equal nations.

For a country of 1.4 billion, that’s a pretty inspiring story.