Economics · Distribution
Gini, Lorenz & Concentration Calculator
Measure how unequally a quantity is shared. Paste incomes, wealth or market shares to get the Gini coefficient with its Lorenz curve, the Herfindahl–Hirschman index of concentration, and a compound annual growth rate — each with a note on what the single number leaves out.
Result
In plain English
These measure how evenly — or unevenly — something is shared out, whether that's income, wealth, or market share.
- Gini coefficient
- 0 means everyone has an equal share; 1 means one person has the lot. Most countries' incomes land around 0.3–0.5.
- Lorenz curve
- Plots the cumulative share held by the poorest x% of people. The further it sags below the diagonal line of equality, the more unequal things are.
- HHI
- A concentration score for markets: add up each firm's squared market share. Higher = more dominated by a handful of players.
- CAGR
- Compound Annual Growth Rate: the single steady yearly rate that takes you from the start value to the end value — the honest “average” for anything that compounds.
Frequently asked
What does a Gini coefficient of 0.4 mean?
0 is perfect equality (everyone the same), 1 is total inequality (one person has everything). Most countries' income Ginis sit around 0.3–0.5, so 0.4 is moderately high — but one number can't say whether the inequality is at the bottom or the top.
Can two different distributions have the same Gini?
Yes — Gini compresses a whole distribution into one number, so a “missing middle” and a “runaway top” can score the same. Read it alongside the Lorenz curve and the top/bottom shares.
What's the difference between the Gini and the HHI?
Gini measures inequality across a population (incomes, wealth); HHI measures concentration in a market (firms' shares), squaring shares so big players dominate the score. Different questions, different tools — this page does both.
What are the limitations of the Gini coefficient?
A single number cannot capture a whole distribution. Two very different societies can share a Gini — one unequal at the top, another at the bottom — because the coefficient is most sensitive to the middle. It also says nothing about absolute living standards (everyone can be equally poor), and it shifts with how income is measured: pre- or post-tax, per household or per person. Read it alongside the Lorenz curve and the actual top and bottom shares.