South America encompasses 12 countries in our income inequality dataset. The regional average top 1% income share is 22.53%, which is notably higher than the global average of 16.17%.
Income Inequality Overview in South America
- Countries covered: 12
- Regional avg. top 1% share: 22.53%
- Regional avg. bottom 50% share: 10.17%
- Global avg. top 1% share: 16.17%
Most and Least Unequal Countries in South America
The most income-concentrated country in South America is Peru's income inequality with a top 1% share of 27.61%. The least concentrated is income distribution in Ecuador at 17.83%.
All South America Countries Ranked by Income Inequality
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peru's income inequality |
27.61% | 58.10% | 9.54% |
| 2 |  Chile's wealth gap |
26.71% | 59.47% | 8.18% |
| 3 |  Brazil's wealth gap |
26.50% | 59.12% | 9.26% |
| 4 |  Colombia's wealth gap |
22.45% | 59.94% | 6.61% |
| 5 |  Bolivia's wealth gap |
21.97% | 52.12% | 10.11% |
| 6 |  Guyana's wealth gap |
21.97% | 52.12% | 10.11% |
| 7 |  income distribution in Paraguay |
21.97% | 52.12% | 10.11% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Suriname |
21.97% | 52.12% | 10.11% |
| 9 |  income distribution in Venezuela |
21.97% | 52.12% | 10.11% |
| 10 |  income distribution in Uruguay |
21.35% | 46.55% | 14.49% |
| 11 |  income distribution in Argentina |
18.10% | 45.11% | 12.21% |
| 12 |  Ecuador's wealth gap |
17.83% | 45.05% | 11.18% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.