In 1991, 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 16.19%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1991
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1991, 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 |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Kenya's income inequality |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Botswana |
34.37% | 67.08% | 6.68% |
| 5 |  Namibia's income inequality |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 6 |  Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 7 |  Eritrea |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 |  Ethiopia's income inequality |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 9 |  Comoros's income inequality |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 10 |  income distribution in Colombia |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 11 |  income distribution in Brazil |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 12 |  income distribution in Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 13 |  Madagascar's wealth gap |
26.52% | 56.32% | 11.25% |
| 14 |  Myanmar's income inequality |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Somalia |
25.79% | 56.90% | 10.98% |
| 16 |  Mauritania |
25.35% | 57.25% | 10.49% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Senegal |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 18 |  Peru's wealth gap |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 19 |  Turkey's wealth gap |
24.57% | 57.46% | 11.49% |
| 20 |  Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1991
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 |
6.05% | 24.38% | 28.57% |
| 2 |  income distribution in Norway |
6.08% | 23.64% | 28.56% |
| 3 |  income distribution in Belarus |
7.84% | 25.88% | 27.37% |
| 4 |  Tajikistan's income inequality |
7.96% | 25.52% | 27.26% |
| 5 |  Slovenia's income inequality |
4.29% | 22.46% | 27.22% |
| 6 |  Kyrgyzstan |
8.47% | 26.37% | 26.83% |
| 7 |  Turkmenistan's wealth gap |
8.82% | 26.96% | 26.46% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Uzbekistan |
8.71% | 27.02% | 26.29% |
| 9 |  Sweden's wealth gap |
8.11% | 27.16% | 26.27% |
| 10 |  Georgia's wealth gap |
9.31% | 27.47% | 26.07% |
| 11 |  Poland's income inequality |
6.56% | 25.93% | 25.93% |
| 12 |  income distribution in Armenia |
9.36% | 27.74% | 25.92% |
| 13 |  Slovakia's wealth gap |
6.29% | 25.74% | 25.92% |
| 14 |  Azerbaijan's wealth gap |
9.13% | 27.72% | 25.68% |
| 15 |  Romania |
7.00% | 27.49% | 25.61% |
| 16 |  income distribution in Kazakhstan |
8.50% | 27.69% | 25.47% |
| 17 |  Finland's income inequality |
3.68% | 23.83% | 25.20% |
| 18 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
8.35% | 27.31% | 24.96% |
| 19 |  income distribution in Netherlands |
5.95% | 27.15% | 24.76% |
| 20 |  Latvia's wealth gap |
4.98% | 25.31% | 24.19% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1991
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 16.19%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 15.21%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Finland (3.68%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1991
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi's wealth gap |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 | income distribution in Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 | income distribution in Kenya |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 4 | Botswana's wealth gap |
34.37% | 67.08% | 6.68% |
| 5 | income distribution in Namibia |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 6 | Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 7 | income distribution in Eritrea |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 | Ethiopia's income inequality |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 9 | Comoros |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 10 | income distribution in Colombia |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 11 | Brazil's wealth gap |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 12 | Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 13 | Madagascar's income inequality |
26.52% | 56.32% | 11.25% |
| 14 | Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 15 | Somalia |
25.79% | 56.90% | 10.98% |
| 16 | Mauritania's wealth gap |
25.35% | 57.25% | 10.49% |
| 17 | Senegal's wealth gap |
25.23% | 60.87% | 8.04% |
| 18 | Peru's income inequality |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 19 | income distribution in Turkey |
24.57% | 57.46% | 11.49% |
| 20 | Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 21 |  Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 22 |  Mozambique |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 23 |  income distribution in Thailand |
23.85% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 24 |  Guinea-Bissau's wealth gap |
23.28% | 59.57% | 7.71% |
| 25 |  Saudi Arabia's income inequality |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 26 |  income distribution in Qatar |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 27 |  Ecuador's income inequality |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 28 |  Dominican Republic's income inequality |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 29 |  Lesotho |
22.77% | 63.14% | 5.91% |
| 30 |  Yemen's income inequality |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 31 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis's wealth gap |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 32 |  Saint Lucia |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 33 |  Grenada |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 34 |  income distribution in Dominica |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 35 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 36 |  Barbados's income inequality |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 37 |  Antigua and Barbuda's wealth gap |
22.57% | 55.80% | 7.89% |
| 38 |  Suriname's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  income distribution in Honduras |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  income distribution in Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Haiti |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  income distribution in Bolivia |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Panama's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  income distribution in Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Jamaica's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 46 |  income distribution in Guyana |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 47 |  income distribution in Guatemala |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 48 |  Trinidad and Tobago's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 49 |  Venezuela's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 50 |  Nicaragua |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 51 |  Belize's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 52 |  Bahrain |
22.21% | 56.52% | 10.89% |
| 53 |  Central African Republic's income inequality |
22.03% | 64.28% | 5.68% |
| 54 |  Angola |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 55 |  Jordan's income inequality |
21.94% | 53.26% | 12.35% |
| 56 |  Tunisia's income inequality |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 57 |  Seychelles's wealth gap |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 58 |  Mali's income inequality |
21.64% | 58.55% | 9.30% |
| 59 |  Burkina Faso |
21.27% | 57.95% | 10.09% |
| 60 |  Kuwait's income inequality |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 61 |  Philippines |
20.81% | 51.45% | 11.85% |
| 62 |  income distribution in Lebanon |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 63 |  Iran |
20.28% | 53.82% | 12.72% |
| 64 |  Palestine's wealth gap |
20.18% | 53.50% | 11.75% |
| 65 |  Costa Rica |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 66 |  United Arab Emirates's wealth gap |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 67 |  Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 68 |  El Salvador's wealth gap |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 69 |  Malaysia |
19.17% | 46.38% | 14.13% |
| 70 |  Uruguay |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 71 |  Cuba's income inequality |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 72 |  Zambia's wealth gap |
18.86% | 58.81% | 5.56% |
| 73 |  income distribution in Israel |
18.63% | 49.99% | 13.40% |
| 74 |  Gambia |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 75 |  income distribution in Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 76 |  Cameroon's wealth gap |
18.49% | 54.31% | 11.51% |
| 77 |  Uganda's income inequality |
18.48% | 51.61% | 12.40% |
| 78 |  income distribution in Bhutan |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 79 |  Papua New Guinea's income inequality |
18.06% | 50.25% | 10.91% |
| 80 |  Niger's wealth gap |
17.41% | 47.52% | 14.91% |
| 81 |  income distribution in Sri Lanka |
17.31% | 44.78% | 16.09% |
| 82 |  Gabon's wealth gap |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 83 |  Hong Kong's wealth gap |
16.66% | 45.48% | 16.36% |
| 84 |  Egypt's wealth gap |
16.65% | 47.07% | 17.15% |
| 85 |  income distribution in Benin |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 86 |  Afghanistan's income inequality |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 87 |  Indonesia |
16.04% | 45.35% | 14.19% |
| 88 |  income distribution in Nepal |
15.95% | 42.99% | 17.06% |
| 89 |  Zimbabwe's wealth gap |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 90 |  Algeria |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 91 |  Djibouti |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 92 |  Pakistan's wealth gap |
15.36% | 42.90% | 16.58% |
| 93 |  Libya |
15.12% | 46.49% | 15.04% |
| 94 |  Argentina's wealth gap |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 95 |  Mongolia's income inequality |
14.84% | 42.51% | 13.90% |
| 96 |  Chad's wealth gap |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 97 |  income distribution in South Sudan |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 98 |  income distribution in Togo |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 99 |  income distribution in Ghana |
13.80% | 47.05% | 14.08% |
| 100 |  Mauritius's income inequality |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 101 |  income distribution in Japan |
13.49% | 39.54% | 19.25% |
| 102 |  Luxembourg's wealth gap |
13.45% | 35.33% | 21.38% |
| 103 |  income distribution in Morocco |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 104 |  income distribution in Sierra Leone |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 105 |  Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 106 |  Bangladesh's wealth gap |
12.58% | 38.54% | 18.86% |
| 107 |  Mexico's income inequality |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 108 |  income distribution in Equatorial Guinea |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 109 |  income distribution in North Korea |
11.99% | 38.51% | 17.72% |
| 110 |  Taiwan |
11.97% | 37.57% | 16.26% |
| 111 |  Tanzania's income inequality |
11.55% | 43.14% | 15.77% |
| 112 |  Estonia's wealth gap |
11.50% | 36.40% | 17.33% |
| 113 |  Spain |
11.43% | 36.01% | 19.24% |
| 114 |  Cyprus |
11.41% | 36.86% | 18.35% |
| 115 |  income distribution in Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 116 |  Burundi's wealth gap |
11.09% | 42.83% | 16.19% |
| 117 |  Nigeria |
10.97% | 46.33% | 11.88% |
| 118 |  South Africa |
10.81% | 49.19% | 12.57% |
| 119 |  Tuvalu |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 120 |  Fiji |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 121 |  Vanuatu's income inequality |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 122 |  Palau |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 123 |  income distribution in Samoa |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 124 |  Kiribati |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 125 |  Solomon Islands's wealth gap |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 126 |  Nauru |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 127 |  Tonga's wealth gap |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 128 |  Marshall Islands's income inequality |
10.70% | 36.65% | 20.75% |
| 129 |  New Zealand's income inequality |
10.57% | 35.57% | 14.42% |
| 130 |  income distribution in Ukraine |
10.51% | 31.06% | 23.11% |
| 131 |  income distribution in India |
10.44% | 35.02% | 20.11% |
| 132 |  income distribution in Germany |
10.30% | 31.49% | 22.10% |
| 133 |  Switzerland |
10.10% | 30.16% | 23.98% |
| 134 |  Singapore |
10.09% | 35.83% | 20.93% |
| 135 |  Serbia's income inequality |
9.85% | 31.21% | 20.88% |
| 136 |  income distribution in Guinea |
9.73% | 46.54% | 10.93% |
| 137 |  United Kingdom's wealth gap |
9.54% | 33.56% | 19.23% |
| 138 |  Ireland's income inequality |
9.45% | 31.81% | 21.81% |
| 139 | Armenia |
9.36% | 27.74% | 25.92% |
| 140 |  Greece's wealth gap |
9.32% | 33.02% | 18.49% |
| 141 | Georgia |
9.31% | 27.47% | 26.07% |
| 142 |  Austria |
9.20% | 31.41% | 23.47% |
| 143 |  Canada's wealth gap |
9.15% | 31.80% | 19.19% |
| 144 |  income distribution in Andorra |
9.15% | 32.32% | 21.00% |
| 145 |  Monaco's income inequality |
9.15% | 32.32% | 21.00% |
| 146 |  Liechtenstein's wealth gap |
9.15% | 32.32% | 21.00% |
| 147 |  San Marino |
9.15% | 32.32% | 21.00% |
| 148 | income distribution in Azerbaijan |
9.13% | 27.72% | 25.68% |
| 149 |  Sao Tome and Principe |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 150 |  Portugal's wealth gap |
9.10% | 34.18% | 20.36% |
| 151 |  France's wealth gap |
9.03% | 31.07% | 21.94% |
| 152 |  Malta's income inequality |
8.87% | 30.82% | 21.89% |
| 153 | Turkmenistan's wealth gap |
8.82% | 26.96% | 26.46% |
| 154 | Uzbekistan |
8.71% | 27.02% | 26.29% |
| 155 |  Kosovo's income inequality |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 156 | Kazakhstan's wealth gap |
8.50% | 27.69% | 25.47% |
| 157 | Kyrgyzstan's income inequality |
8.47% | 26.37% | 26.83% |
| 158 |  China |
8.46% | 31.64% | 19.92% |
| 159 |  Macao's wealth gap |
8.42% | 31.51% | 20.27% |
| 160 | Denmark's income inequality |
8.35% | 27.31% | 24.96% |
| 161 | Sweden's wealth gap |
8.11% | 27.16% | 26.27% |
| 162 |  Bulgaria's income inequality |
7.97% | 29.13% | 23.67% |
| 163 | Tajikistan's wealth gap |
7.96% | 25.52% | 27.26% |
| 164 |  Belgium |
7.87% | 32.38% | 21.10% |
| 165 | income distribution in Belarus |
7.84% | 25.88% | 27.37% |
| 166 |  Iceland |
7.60% | 29.91% | 22.30% |
| 167 |  Moldova's wealth gap |
7.19% | 30.04% | 21.41% |
| 168 |  Lithuania's wealth gap |
7.16% | 31.05% | 21.45% |
| 169 |  Albania's income inequality |
7.00% | 30.93% | 19.41% |
| 170 | income distribution in Romania |
7.00% | 27.49% | 25.61% |
| 171 |  Australia's income inequality |
7.00% | 29.59% | 18.76% |
| 172 |  Montenegro's wealth gap |
6.95% | 28.58% | 21.80% |
| 173 |  income distribution in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
6.80% | 28.08% | 22.54% |
| 174 |  North Macedonia |
6.75% | 27.80% | 22.17% |
| 175 | income distribution in Poland |
6.56% | 25.93% | 25.93% |
| 176 |  Italy's income inequality |
6.31% | 27.08% | 23.76% |
| 177 | Slovakia's income inequality |
6.29% | 25.74% | 25.92% |
| 178 | income distribution in Norway |
6.08% | 23.64% | 28.56% |
| 179 | Hungary |
6.05% | 24.38% | 28.57% |
| 180 | Netherlands's wealth gap |
5.95% | 27.15% | 24.76% |
| 181 |  Croatia |
5.31% | 30.48% | 20.79% |
| 182 | Latvia's wealth gap |
4.98% | 25.31% | 24.19% |
| 183 | Slovenia |
4.29% | 22.46% | 27.22% |
| 184 | income distribution in Finland |
3.68% | 23.83% | 25.20% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.