In 1987, 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 15.62%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1987
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1987, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Malawi's income inequality |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 |  Maldives's wealth gap |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Kenya |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 |  Namibia |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 5 |  Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 |  Ethiopia's income inequality |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 7 |  Eritrea |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 |  Comoros's income inequality |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 9 |  Colombia's wealth gap |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 10 |  Turkey |
28.31% | 60.31% | 10.54% |
| 11 |  Botswana's wealth gap |
27.70% | 63.02% | 7.52% |
| 12 |  Brazil's income inequality |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 13 |  Cambodia's wealth gap |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 14 |  Myanmar's income inequality |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 15 |  Senegal's wealth gap |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 16 |  income distribution in Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 17 |  Somalia |
25.14% | 56.68% | 10.92% |
| 18 |  Madagascar's wealth gap |
24.60% | 55.96% | 11.00% |
| 19 |  income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 20 |  Thailand's wealth gap |
24.34% | 56.43% | 9.87% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1987
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 |  income distribution in Hungary |
3.41% | 18.06% | 35.12% |
| 2 |  Bulgaria |
2.18% | 18.12% | 28.52% |
| 3 |  income distribution in Poland |
4.37% | 22.12% | 27.87% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Norway |
5.66% | 23.87% | 27.78% |
| 5 |  income distribution in Ukraine |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 6 |  Armenia |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 7 |  Kazakhstan's income inequality |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 8 |  Kyrgyzstan's income inequality |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 9 |  Turkmenistan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 10 |  Uzbekistan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 11 |  Azerbaijan's wealth gap |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 12 |  Belarus's income inequality |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 13 |  Tajikistan's wealth gap |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 14 |  Georgia's wealth gap |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Slovakia |
4.38% | 22.97% | 27.56% |
| 16 |  Slovenia's income inequality |
4.26% | 22.38% | 27.25% |
| 17 |  Romania's income inequality |
5.65% | 24.94% | 27.09% |
| 18 |  Latvia's income inequality |
3.70% | 22.37% | 26.35% |
| 19 |  Sweden |
9.62% | 28.14% | 26.16% |
| 20 |  Moldova's income inequality |
4.98% | 24.78% | 25.90% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1987
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 15.62%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 15.59%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Bulgaria (2.18%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1987
| # | 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 | Kenya's income inequality |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 | income distribution in Namibia |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 5 | 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 | Botswana's income inequality |
27.70% | 63.02% | 7.52% |
| 12 | Brazil's income inequality |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 13 | income distribution in Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 14 | Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 15 | income distribution in Senegal |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 16 | Peru's income inequality |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 17 | Somalia |
25.14% | 56.68% | 10.92% |
| 18 | Madagascar's income inequality |
24.60% | 55.96% | 11.00% |
| 19 | Iraq's income inequality |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 20 | income distribution in Thailand |
24.34% | 56.43% | 9.87% |
| 21 |  income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 22 |  Mozambique's income inequality |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 23 |  Lesotho's income inequality |
23.29% | 61.53% | 7.13% |
| 24 |  Guinea-Bissau |
23.28% | 59.57% | 7.71% |
| 25 |  Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 26 |  income distribution in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 27 |  Saint Lucia's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 28 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 29 |  Antigua and Barbuda's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 30 |  Qatar's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 31 |  Grenada |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 32 |  Barbados's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 33 |  Dominica's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.91% | 7.96% |
| 34 |  Ecuador's wealth gap |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 35 |  Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 36 |  income distribution in Yemen |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 37 |  Iran's wealth gap |
22.39% | 56.58% | 11.47% |
| 38 |  Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  income distribution in Jamaica |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Panama's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Guyana |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  Nicaragua's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Guatemala's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Honduras's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Haiti's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 46 |  income distribution in Trinidad and Tobago |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 47 |  Venezuela |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 48 |  Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 49 |  income distribution in Suriname |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 50 |  Belize's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 51 |  Bolivia |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 52 |  Bahrain's income inequality |
22.21% | 56.52% | 10.89% |
| 53 |  Central African Republic's income inequality |
22.03% | 64.28% | 5.68% |
| 54 |  income distribution in Angola |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 55 |  Tunisia |
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 |
21.27% | 57.95% | 10.09% |
| 59 |  Kuwait |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 60 |  Lebanon's wealth gap |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 61 |  Palestine's income inequality |
20.18% | 53.50% | 11.75% |
| 62 |  Costa Rica's wealth gap |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 63 |  United Arab Emirates |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 64 |  Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 65 |  El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 66 |  Malaysia's wealth gap |
19.13% | 46.35% | 14.30% |
| 67 |  income distribution in Uruguay |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 68 |  Cuba's wealth gap |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 69 |  income distribution in Zambia |
18.86% | 58.81% | 5.56% |
| 70 |  Philippines |
18.70% | 48.73% | 13.08% |
| 71 |  Gambia's wealth gap |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 72 |  income distribution in Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 73 |  Cameroon's income inequality |
18.49% | 54.31% | 11.51% |
| 74 |  Jordan's wealth gap |
18.41% | 49.91% | 13.88% |
| 75 |  Bhutan's wealth gap |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 76 |  income distribution in Papua New Guinea |
18.06% | 50.25% | 10.91% |
| 77 |  Israel |
17.67% | 49.38% | 13.50% |
| 78 |  Niger's wealth gap |
17.41% | 47.52% | 14.91% |
| 79 |  income distribution in Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 80 |  Indonesia |
16.66% | 44.02% | 14.93% |
| 81 |  Egypt's income inequality |
16.53% | 47.14% | 17.04% |
| 82 |  Benin |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 83 |  income distribution in Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 84 |  Sri Lanka |
16.02% | 43.26% | 16.52% |
| 85 |  Zimbabwe's income inequality |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 86 |  Pakistan's wealth gap |
15.73% | 43.94% | 16.25% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Algeria |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 88 |  Libya's wealth gap |
15.71% | 46.69% | 15.05% |
| 89 |  income distribution in Hong Kong |
15.63% | 44.09% | 17.76% |
| 90 |  Djibouti |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 91 |  Uganda's wealth gap |
15.20% | 50.75% | 11.66% |
| 92 |  Argentina |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 93 |  Mongolia's income inequality |
14.84% | 42.51% | 13.90% |
| 94 |  Chad's wealth gap |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 95 |  South Sudan's income inequality |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 96 |  Togo's income inequality |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 97 |  income distribution in Bangladesh |
13.88% | 40.01% | 18.41% |
| 98 |  Mauritius's wealth gap |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 99 |  Morocco |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 100 |  Luxembourg's income inequality |
13.19% | 35.28% | 21.49% |
| 101 |  Nepal's income inequality |
13.01% | 38.67% | 19.54% |
| 102 |  income distribution in Sierra Leone |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 103 |  Mauritania's income inequality |
12.81% | 48.09% | 12.18% |
| 104 |  Liberia's income inequality |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 105 |  income distribution in Mexico |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 106 |  Japan's wealth gap |
12.36% | 38.64% | 19.12% |
| 107 |  Equatorial Guinea's income inequality |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 108 |  North Korea |
11.88% | 38.19% | 18.32% |
| 109 |  income distribution in Spain |
11.78% | 36.43% | 19.42% |
| 110 |  Cyprus's income inequality |
11.59% | 37.21% | 18.17% |
| 111 |  Tanzania's income inequality |
11.55% | 43.14% | 15.77% |
| 112 |  Singapore |
11.45% | 38.52% | 19.77% |
| 113 |  Ghana's income inequality |
11.44% | 43.49% | 15.56% |
| 114 |  Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 115 |  Burundi |
11.09% | 42.83% | 16.19% |
| 116 |  Taiwan |
10.79% | 36.16% | 16.83% |
| 117 |  Switzerland |
10.74% | 31.17% | 23.46% |
| 118 |  income distribution in India |
10.59% | 35.37% | 19.96% |
| 119 |  Serbia |
10.48% | 31.87% | 20.49% |
| 120 |  Germany |
10.40% | 30.15% | 23.04% |
| 121 |  income distribution in South Africa |
10.14% | 47.18% | 13.50% |
| 122 |  Marshall Islands |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 123 |  Nauru |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 124 |  Tuvalu's wealth gap |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 125 |  income distribution in Vanuatu |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 126 |  Samoa |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 127 |  Kiribati's income inequality |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 128 |  Fiji's wealth gap |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 129 |  income distribution in Solomon Islands |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 130 |  income distribution in Palau |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 131 |  Tonga |
9.92% | 36.02% | 20.90% |
| 132 |  income distribution in Nigeria |
9.83% | 44.46% | 13.25% |
| 133 |  income distribution in Guinea |
9.73% | 46.54% | 10.93% |
| 134 | Sweden's wealth gap |
9.62% | 28.14% | 26.16% |
| 135 |  Andorra's wealth gap |
9.28% | 32.53% | 20.24% |
| 136 |  income distribution in San Marino |
9.28% | 32.53% | 20.24% |
| 137 |  Monaco's income inequality |
9.28% | 32.53% | 20.24% |
| 138 |  Liechtenstein's wealth gap |
9.28% | 32.53% | 20.24% |
| 139 |  Greece's income inequality |
9.18% | 33.69% | 19.03% |
| 140 |  Austria's income inequality |
9.15% | 31.60% | 23.58% |
| 141 |  Sao Tome and Principe's income inequality |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 142 |  Malta's wealth gap |
8.88% | 30.83% | 21.89% |
| 143 |  Ireland |
8.75% | 30.89% | 22.03% |
| 144 |  Kosovo's wealth gap |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 145 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
8.53% | 27.27% | 24.84% |
| 146 |  France |
8.22% | 30.32% | 22.30% |
| 147 |  Macao's income inequality |
8.21% | 30.85% | 21.46% |
| 148 |  Portugal's income inequality |
8.17% | 32.39% | 20.75% |
| 149 |  Canada's wealth gap |
8.06% | 29.90% | 21.07% |
| 150 |  Belgium's wealth gap |
8.04% | 32.58% | 21.39% |
| 151 |  China's income inequality |
8.04% | 30.37% | 21.69% |
| 152 |  income distribution in New Zealand |
7.88% | 31.10% | 16.17% |
| 153 |  Iceland's income inequality |
7.68% | 29.92% | 22.28% |
| 154 |  United Kingdom's income inequality |
7.65% | 30.23% | 21.25% |
| 155 |  income distribution in Montenegro |
7.52% | 29.58% | 21.16% |
| 156 |  Australia |
7.51% | 27.87% | 18.26% |
| 157 |  income distribution in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
7.25% | 28.80% | 22.23% |
| 158 |  North Macedonia's wealth gap |
7.24% | 28.25% | 22.58% |
| 159 |  Albania's wealth gap |
6.79% | 30.59% | 19.49% |
| 160 |  Finland's income inequality |
6.56% | 27.44% | 23.98% |
| 161 |  Netherlands |
6.17% | 27.66% | 24.48% |
| 162 |  Italy |
5.85% | 25.82% | 24.50% |
| 163 | Norway |
5.66% | 23.87% | 27.78% |
| 164 | Romania's income inequality |
5.65% | 24.94% | 27.09% |
| 165 | Ukraine |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 166 | Armenia's income inequality |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 167 | income distribution in Kazakhstan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 168 | Kyrgyzstan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 169 | Turkmenistan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 170 | Uzbekistan's income inequality |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 171 | Azerbaijan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 172 | income distribution in Belarus |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 173 | income distribution in Tajikistan |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 174 | Georgia's wealth gap |
5.15% | 24.66% | 27.60% |
| 175 | Moldova's income inequality |
4.98% | 24.78% | 25.90% |
| 176 |  income distribution in Estonia |
4.69% | 23.72% | 24.53% |
| 177 |  income distribution in Lithuania |
4.49% | 24.92% | 24.78% |
| 178 | Slovakia's income inequality |
4.38% | 22.97% | 27.56% |
| 179 | Poland's income inequality |
4.37% | 22.12% | 27.87% |
| 180 | Slovenia's wealth gap |
4.26% | 22.38% | 27.25% |
| 181 |  Croatia's income inequality |
4.01% | 26.24% | 22.60% |
| 182 | Latvia's income inequality |
3.70% | 22.37% | 26.35% |
| 183 | income distribution in Hungary |
3.41% | 18.06% | 35.12% |
| 184 | Bulgaria's income inequality |
2.18% | 18.12% | 28.52% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.