In 1985, 184 countries reported income inequality data. The highest top 1% income concentration was in Malawi at 64.09%. The global average top 1% income share was 15.51%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1985
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1985, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Malawi |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 |  income distribution in Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Kenya's wealth gap |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 |  Namibia's income inequality |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 5 |  income distribution in Chile |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 |  Ethiopia's wealth gap |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 7 |  Eritrea's wealth gap |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 |  Comoros |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 9 |  Colombia's income inequality |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 10 |  income distribution in Turkey |
28.31% | 60.31% | 10.54% |
| 11 |  Brazil's wealth gap |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 12 |  Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 13 |  Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 14 |  Senegal's wealth gap |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 15 |  Peru's income inequality |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 16 |  Somalia's wealth gap |
24.98% | 56.62% | 10.92% |
| 17 |  Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 18 |  Botswana's income inequality |
24.36% | 60.98% | 7.94% |
| 19 |  Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 20 |  income distribution in Mozambique |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1985
These countries had the highest share of income going to the bottom 50% of earners, indicating more equitable distribution.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hungary |
2.86% | 16.84% | 36.50% |
| 2 |  Slovakia |
4.01% | 22.42% | 27.81% |
| 3 |  income distribution in Poland |
4.29% | 22.73% | 27.74% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Kazakhstan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 5 |  Turkmenistan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 6 |  Uzbekistan's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 7 |  Armenia's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Ukraine |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 9 |  Belarus's wealth gap |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 10 |  Azerbaijan's wealth gap |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 11 |  income distribution in Kyrgyzstan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 12 |  Tajikistan's wealth gap |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 13 |  Georgia |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 14 |  Slovenia's wealth gap |
4.26% | 22.38% | 27.25% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Romania |
5.65% | 24.94% | 27.09% |
| 16 |  Bulgaria |
4.21% | 22.37% | 27.03% |
| 17 |  Latvia's income inequality |
3.70% | 22.37% | 26.36% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Norway |
8.10% | 26.87% | 26.17% |
| 19 |  Sweden's income inequality |
9.73% | 28.20% | 26.14% |
| 20 |  Moldova's income inequality |
4.98% | 24.78% | 25.90% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1985
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 15.51%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 15.65%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Hungary (2.86%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1985
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi's income inequality |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 | Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 | income distribution in Kenya |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 | Namibia |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 5 | income distribution in Chile |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 | income distribution in Ethiopia |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 7 | income distribution in Eritrea |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 | Comoros |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 9 | Colombia |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 10 | Turkey |
28.31% | 60.31% | 10.54% |
| 11 | Brazil |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 12 | Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 13 | Myanmar's wealth gap |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 14 | Senegal |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 15 | Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 16 | Somalia's income inequality |
24.98% | 56.62% | 10.92% |
| 17 | income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 18 | Botswana |
24.36% | 60.98% | 7.94% |
| 19 | income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 20 | Mozambique's wealth gap |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 21 |  Thailand's income inequality |
23.96% | 56.31% | 9.81% |
| 22 |  Madagascar's income inequality |
23.65% | 55.77% | 10.87% |
| 23 |  Lesotho |
23.41% | 61.13% | 7.43% |
| 24 |  income distribution in Guinea-Bissau |
23.28% | 59.57% | 7.71% |
| 25 |  Antigua and Barbuda's wealth gap |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 26 |  Saint Lucia's wealth gap |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 27 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis's income inequality |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 28 |  income distribution in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 29 |  Grenada's wealth gap |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 30 |  Barbados |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 31 |  Dominica's income inequality |
23.19% | 55.92% | 8.03% |
| 32 |  Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 33 |  income distribution in Iran |
23.05% | 57.43% | 11.09% |
| 34 |  Qatar's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 35 |  income distribution in Ecuador |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 36 |  Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 37 |  income distribution in Yemen |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 38 |  Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  Guatemala |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Suriname's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  Belize's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Bolivia |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Guyana's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Jamaica's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 46 |  income distribution in Venezuela |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 47 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 48 |  Honduras's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 49 |  income distribution in Nicaragua |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 50 |  Haiti |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 51 |  Panama's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 52 |  Bahrain |
22.21% | 56.52% | 10.89% |
| 53 |  income distribution in Central African Republic |
22.03% | 64.28% | 5.68% |
| 54 |  Angola's wealth gap |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 55 |  Tunisia's income inequality |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 56 |  Seychelles's income inequality |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 57 |  Mali's wealth gap |
21.64% | 58.55% | 9.30% |
| 58 |  Burkina Faso's income inequality |
21.27% | 57.95% | 10.09% |
| 59 |  Kuwait's income inequality |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 60 |  Lebanon's wealth gap |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 61 |  Palestine's wealth gap |
20.18% | 53.50% | 11.75% |
| 62 |  Costa Rica's income inequality |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 63 |  United Arab Emirates's wealth gap |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 64 |  Oman's income inequality |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 65 |  Malaysia's income inequality |
19.81% | 47.11% | 13.98% |
| 66 |  Philippines's wealth gap |
19.57% | 49.42% | 13.05% |
| 67 |  income distribution in El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 68 |  income distribution in Uruguay |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 69 |  Cuba |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 70 |  Zambia's wealth gap |
18.86% | 58.81% | 5.56% |
| 71 |  income distribution in Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 72 |  Gambia |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 73 |  income distribution in Cameroon |
18.49% | 54.31% | 11.51% |
| 74 |  Bhutan |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 75 |  Papua New Guinea |
18.06% | 50.25% | 10.91% |
| 76 |  income distribution in Jordan |
17.80% | 49.33% | 14.14% |
| 77 |  income distribution in Israel |
17.52% | 49.24% | 13.51% |
| 78 |  Niger's income inequality |
17.41% | 47.52% | 14.91% |
| 79 |  Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 80 |  income distribution in Egypt |
16.53% | 47.14% | 17.04% |
| 81 |  Benin's wealth gap |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 82 |  Afghanistan's income inequality |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 83 |  income distribution in Libya |
16.11% | 46.83% | 15.07% |
| 84 |  Zimbabwe's income inequality |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 85 |  Pakistan's income inequality |
15.73% | 43.94% | 16.25% |
| 86 |  Algeria's income inequality |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 87 |  Indonesia's income inequality |
15.47% | 42.25% | 15.90% |
| 88 |  Djibouti's wealth gap |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 89 |  Uganda |
15.20% | 50.75% | 11.66% |
| 90 |  income distribution in Argentina |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 91 |  Mongolia's wealth gap |
14.84% | 42.51% | 13.90% |
| 92 |  Hong Kong |
14.81% | 43.12% | 18.41% |
| 93 |  Sri Lanka's income inequality |
14.77% | 42.23% | 16.65% |
| 94 |  income distribution in Chad |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 95 |  South Sudan's wealth gap |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 96 |  Togo |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 97 |  income distribution in Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 98 |  income distribution in Morocco |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 99 |  Luxembourg's wealth gap |
13.03% | 35.22% | 21.54% |
| 100 |  Bangladesh's income inequality |
13.00% | 38.91% | 18.98% |
| 101 |  income distribution in Sierra Leone |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 102 |  Mauritania's income inequality |
12.81% | 48.09% | 12.18% |
| 103 |  income distribution in Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 104 |  Mexico |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 105 |  Equatorial Guinea |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 106 |  income distribution in North Korea |
11.88% | 38.19% | 18.32% |
| 107 |  Tanzania's wealth gap |
11.55% | 43.14% | 15.77% |
| 108 |  Cyprus's wealth gap |
11.49% | 37.06% | 18.22% |
| 109 |  Ghana's income inequality |
11.44% | 43.49% | 15.56% |
| 110 |  income distribution in Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 111 |  Burundi |
11.09% | 42.83% | 16.19% |
| 112 |  Spain's income inequality |
10.97% | 35.17% | 19.99% |
| 113 |  Nepal's income inequality |
10.94% | 35.65% | 21.28% |
| 114 |  income distribution in Singapore |
10.86% | 36.96% | 20.46% |
| 115 |  India's wealth gap |
10.72% | 35.68% | 19.92% |
| 116 |  Switzerland |
10.64% | 31.24% | 23.30% |
| 117 |  Japan's wealth gap |
10.51% | 36.03% | 20.09% |
| 118 |  Taiwan's income inequality |
10.33% | 36.33% | 16.64% |
| 119 |  income distribution in South Africa |
10.14% | 47.18% | 13.50% |
| 120 | income distribution in Sweden |
9.73% | 28.20% | 26.14% |
| 121 |  Guinea |
9.73% | 46.54% | 10.93% |
| 122 |  income distribution in Denmark |
9.66% | 28.35% | 24.34% |
| 123 |  Solomon Islands's income inequality |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 124 |  income distribution in Fiji |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 125 |  Palau's wealth gap |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 126 |  Marshall Islands's income inequality |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 127 |  Nauru |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 128 |  Tonga |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 129 |  income distribution in Samoa |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 130 |  Vanuatu |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 131 |  Kiribati |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 132 |  Tuvalu's income inequality |
9.60% | 35.81% | 21.00% |
| 133 |  Germany |
9.55% | 28.71% | 23.59% |
| 134 |  Andorra |
9.37% | 32.90% | 19.82% |
| 135 |  income distribution in San Marino |
9.37% | 32.90% | 19.82% |
| 136 |  income distribution in Liechtenstein |
9.37% | 32.90% | 19.82% |
| 137 |  Monaco |
9.37% | 32.90% | 19.82% |
| 138 |  Nigeria |
9.26% | 43.53% | 13.93% |
| 139 |  Greece's income inequality |
9.25% | 35.46% | 17.76% |
| 140 |  Austria |
9.15% | 31.43% | 23.04% |
| 141 |  Sao Tome and Principe |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 142 |  Serbia's income inequality |
9.08% | 30.35% | 21.37% |
| 143 |  Ireland |
8.82% | 30.88% | 22.42% |
| 144 |  Malta's income inequality |
8.68% | 30.64% | 21.95% |
| 145 |  Kosovo |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 146 |  China's income inequality |
8.22% | 30.31% | 23.42% |
| 147 |  Macao |
8.21% | 30.85% | 21.46% |
| 148 |  New Zealand |
8.12% | 32.60% | 15.44% |
| 149 | Norway |
8.10% | 26.87% | 26.17% |
| 150 |  Iceland |
7.69% | 29.93% | 22.26% |
| 151 |  Portugal's wealth gap |
7.68% | 32.46% | 20.61% |
| 152 |  income distribution in Canada |
7.66% | 29.19% | 21.96% |
| 153 |  Belgium's wealth gap |
7.50% | 31.20% | 21.67% |
| 154 |  Montenegro |
7.33% | 29.07% | 21.70% |
| 155 |  United Kingdom |
7.31% | 29.74% | 21.56% |
| 156 |  France |
7.27% | 28.91% | 22.61% |
| 157 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina's income inequality |
7.06% | 28.31% | 22.74% |
| 158 |  North Macedonia's income inequality |
7.05% | 27.82% | 22.98% |
| 159 |  Albania |
6.79% | 30.59% | 19.49% |
| 160 |  income distribution in Netherlands |
6.25% | 27.83% | 24.37% |
| 161 |  Australia's income inequality |
5.99% | 25.52% | 19.27% |
| 162 | Romania |
5.65% | 24.94% | 27.09% |
| 163 |  income distribution in Finland |
5.60% | 26.32% | 23.80% |
| 164 |  income distribution in Italy |
5.06% | 24.26% | 25.81% |
| 165 | Moldova's wealth gap |
4.98% | 24.78% | 25.90% |
| 166 | Kazakhstan's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 167 | Turkmenistan's wealth gap |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 168 | income distribution in Uzbekistan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 169 | income distribution in Armenia |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 170 | Ukraine's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 171 | Belarus's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 172 | income distribution in Azerbaijan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 173 | Kyrgyzstan |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 174 | Tajikistan's income inequality |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 175 | Georgia |
4.84% | 24.71% | 27.62% |
| 176 |  income distribution in Estonia |
4.68% | 23.72% | 24.54% |
| 177 |  income distribution in Lithuania |
4.49% | 24.92% | 24.78% |
| 178 | income distribution in Poland |
4.29% | 22.73% | 27.74% |
| 179 | income distribution in Slovenia |
4.26% | 22.38% | 27.25% |
| 180 | Bulgaria's income inequality |
4.21% | 22.37% | 27.03% |
| 181 |  Croatia's wealth gap |
4.20% | 27.56% | 21.91% |
| 182 | Slovakia's wealth gap |
4.01% | 22.42% | 27.81% |
| 183 | income distribution in Latvia |
3.70% | 22.37% | 26.36% |
| 184 | income distribution in Hungary |
2.86% | 16.84% | 36.50% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.