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Gini Coefficients by Country (Total Population), Before and After Taxes and Transfers, late-2000s

Gini coefficients obtained from the OECD suggest that some countries are better at moderating income inequality than others. These data, showing ginis before and after taxes and transfers, and the net difference, are ordered on the horizontal axis by the size of the percentage difference change between the 'before-after' coefficients. The percentage change in the gini for the U.S., is on the low end, with the after-tax gini 22% smaller than the before-tax coefficient. Belgium and Finland, at the other end, show nearly a 45% decrease in the gini after taxes and transfers are accounted for, and therefore, much less inequality after taxes and transfers.

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