Incomes in China's highest-paid industrial sector are 15 times those in its lowest-paid sector, meaning China has the largest income gap between sectors, according to the latest figures released by the Incomes Institute of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS).

And inequality between industry sectors appears to be growing rapidly. Data released last year by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that people working in the securities industry earned 6 times average earnings, and incomes in the highest-paid industry were 11 times those in the lowest-paid industry.

Comparing China with other countries, MOHRSS said the income ratio between the highest-paid and lowest-paid sectors is around 1.6 to 2 in Japan, the United Kingdom and France, and 2.3 to 3 in Germany, Canada, the United States and South Korea.