A recent study published in Nature Communications presents a comprehensive analysis of income inequality in major ancient civilizations, specifically the Roman Empire, the Han Dynasty, and the Aztec Empire. By employing the Gini index to gauge wealth distribution, researchers found that the Roman Empire had a Gini score of 0.46, the Han Empire slightly higher at 0.48, and the Aztec Empire at 0.50 before Spanish conquest. These findings reveal that income inequality in ancient societies was not only prevalent but also comparable to contemporary issues, with emerging insights into the factors behind these disparities.
The study highlights that, despite the Roman and Han Empires having similar population sizes, their Gini indices signify distinct patterns of income inequality across these ancient societies.
With a Gini index of 0.50, the Aztec Empire exhibited severe income disparities, exceeding modern levels in the U.S. and China, contrasting sharply with the more equal societies in Europe.
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