In 1992, 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 16.34%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1992
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1992, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Malawi's wealth gap |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 |  Botswana's income inequality |
36.03% | 68.10% | 6.47% |
| 3 |  Maldives's wealth gap |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Kenya |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 5 |  Namibia |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 6 |  Chile |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 7 |  income distribution in Eritrea |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 |  Ethiopia's wealth gap |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 9 |  Comoros's wealth gap |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 10 |  Colombia's wealth gap |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 11 |  income distribution in Mauritania |
28.50% | 59.54% | 10.06% |
| 12 |  Brazil's income inequality |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 13 |  Madagascar |
26.99% | 56.41% | 11.31% |
| 14 |  Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 15 |  Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 16 |  income distribution in Somalia |
25.97% | 56.94% | 11.06% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 19 |  income distribution in Thailand |
24.17% | 58.83% | 8.81% |
| 20 |  Rwanda's wealth gap |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1992
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 |  Norway |
6.95% | 24.54% | 28.63% |
| 2 |  income distribution in Slovakia |
5.64% | 23.80% | 27.52% |
| 3 |  income distribution in Hungary |
6.75% | 26.13% | 26.95% |
| 4 |  Slovenia's income inequality |
4.83% | 23.57% | 26.68% |
| 5 |  income distribution in Sweden |
7.85% | 26.79% | 26.45% |
| 6 |  Belarus's income inequality |
8.24% | 27.85% | 26.34% |
| 7 |  income distribution in Tajikistan |
8.47% | 27.09% | 26.15% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Finland |
3.69% | 23.72% | 25.40% |
| 9 |  Kyrgyzstan |
9.48% | 28.79% | 25.30% |
| 10 |  Poland's wealth gap |
7.54% | 25.64% | 25.28% |
| 11 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
8.43% | 27.43% | 24.81% |
| 12 |  Romania |
7.06% | 27.85% | 24.81% |
| 13 |  Netherlands's income inequality |
5.95% | 27.16% | 24.80% |
| 14 |  Turkmenistan |
10.19% | 29.97% | 24.55% |
| 15 |  Uzbekistan's income inequality |
9.97% | 30.08% | 24.21% |
| 16 |  Switzerland's wealth gap |
9.91% | 29.94% | 23.86% |
| 17 |  Georgia |
11.15% | 30.99% | 23.77% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Austria |
9.16% | 31.26% | 23.50% |
| 19 |  Armenia's wealth gap |
11.28% | 31.52% | 23.47% |
| 20 |  Italy's income inequality |
6.33% | 27.31% | 23.42% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1992
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 16.34%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 15.03%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Finland (3.69%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1992
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 | income distribution in Botswana |
36.03% | 68.10% | 6.47% |
| 3 | income distribution in Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 4 | Kenya's income inequality |
34.81% | 66.26% | 7.30% |
| 5 | Namibia's wealth gap |
33.15% | 75.80% | 3.27% |
| 6 | Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 7 | Eritrea's income inequality |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 8 | Ethiopia's wealth gap |
29.69% | 58.32% | 11.36% |
| 9 | Comoros's wealth gap |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 10 | Colombia's wealth gap |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 11 | Mauritania's income inequality |
28.50% | 59.54% | 10.06% |
| 12 | income distribution in Brazil |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 13 | Madagascar's income inequality |
26.99% | 56.41% | 11.31% |
| 14 | Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 15 | income distribution in Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 16 | Somalia's wealth gap |
25.97% | 56.94% | 11.06% |
| 17 | Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 18 | Iraq's income inequality |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 19 | Thailand |
24.17% | 58.83% | 8.81% |
| 20 | income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 21 |  Mozambique |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 22 |  Turkey's income inequality |
23.64% | 56.75% | 11.72% |
| 23 |  Jordan's wealth gap |
23.25% | 54.51% | 11.78% |
| 24 |  Saudi Arabia's income inequality |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 25 |  income distribution in Qatar |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 26 |  Ecuador's income inequality |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 27 |  income distribution in Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 28 |  income distribution in Yemen |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 29 |  Lesotho's wealth gap |
22.64% | 63.55% | 5.61% |
| 30 |  income distribution in Saint Kitts and Nevis |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 31 |  Dominica's income inequality |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 32 |  income distribution in Saint Lucia |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 33 |  Grenada |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 34 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's income inequality |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 35 |  Antigua and Barbuda's income inequality |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 36 |  income distribution in Barbados |
22.55% | 55.70% | 7.93% |
| 37 |  income distribution in Senegal |
22.45% | 57.06% | 9.85% |
| 38 |  Guyana's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  Guatemala's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Belize |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Honduras |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  income distribution in Nicaragua |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Panama's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Haiti's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 46 |  Bolivia |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 47 |  income distribution in Trinidad and Tobago |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 48 |  Venezuela |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 49 |  Jamaica's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 50 |  Suriname |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 51 |  Bahamas's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 52 |  Bahrain's wealth gap |
22.21% | 56.52% | 10.89% |
| 53 |  Central African Republic |
22.03% | 64.28% | 5.68% |
| 54 |  Angola |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 55 |  Tunisia |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 56 |  Seychelles |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 57 |  income distribution in Mali |
21.64% | 58.55% | 9.30% |
| 58 |  Guinea-Bissau |
21.48% | 56.06% | 9.72% |
| 59 |  Burkina Faso's income inequality |
21.27% | 57.95% | 10.09% |
| 60 |  Kuwait's income inequality |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 61 |  Lebanon |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 62 |  Philippines |
20.28% | 50.94% | 11.98% |
| 63 |  Iran's income inequality |
20.27% | 53.79% | 12.75% |
| 64 |  Palestine's income inequality |
20.18% | 53.50% | 11.75% |
| 65 |  Costa Rica's wealth gap |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 66 |  Uganda |
20.13% | 52.05% | 12.77% |
| 67 |  United Arab Emirates's income inequality |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 68 |  Oman's income inequality |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 69 |  income distribution in El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 70 |  income distribution in Malaysia |
19.18% | 46.48% | 13.96% |
| 71 |  Uruguay's income inequality |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 72 |  income distribution in Cuba |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 73 |  Israel's income inequality |
18.83% | 50.12% | 13.38% |
| 74 |  Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 75 |  Gambia's income inequality |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 76 |  income distribution in Cameroon |
18.49% | 54.31% | 11.51% |
| 77 |  Bhutan's wealth gap |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 78 |  Papua New Guinea |
18.06% | 50.25% | 10.91% |
| 79 |  Zambia |
17.79% | 57.41% | 7.07% |
| 80 |  Niger's income inequality |
17.41% | 47.52% | 14.91% |
| 81 |  Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 82 |  Sri Lanka's income inequality |
16.98% | 44.93% | 15.85% |
| 83 |  Indonesia |
16.92% | 45.84% | 14.04% |
| 84 |  income distribution in Egypt |
16.77% | 47.00% | 17.26% |
| 85 |  Nepal's income inequality |
16.52% | 43.83% | 16.59% |
| 86 |  Benin's wealth gap |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 88 |  Hong Kong's wealth gap |
16.00% | 44.48% | 16.48% |
| 89 |  Zimbabwe's income inequality |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 90 |  Algeria's wealth gap |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 91 |  income distribution in Pakistan |
15.63% | 42.76% | 16.85% |
| 92 |  Djibouti's wealth gap |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 93 |  Libya |
15.13% | 46.51% | 15.04% |
| 94 |  Argentina's wealth gap |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 95 |  Mongolia's wealth gap |
14.84% | 42.51% | 13.90% |
| 96 |  income distribution in Chad |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 97 |  income distribution in South Sudan |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 98 |  Togo's income inequality |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 99 |  income distribution in Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 100 |  Bangladesh's income inequality |
13.74% | 40.32% | 18.12% |
| 101 |  Ukraine |
13.60% | 38.26% | 17.73% |
| 102 |  Ghana's income inequality |
13.57% | 46.86% | 13.99% |
| 103 |  Morocco |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 104 |  Luxembourg's wealth gap |
13.41% | 35.30% | 21.51% |
| 105 |  Sierra Leone |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 106 |  income distribution in Guinea |
12.73% | 49.00% | 10.88% |
| 107 |  income distribution in Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 108 |  income distribution in Mexico |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 109 |  North Korea's wealth gap |
12.20% | 39.11% | 17.28% |
| 110 |  income distribution in Equatorial Guinea |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 111 |  Tanzania's income inequality |
11.68% | 43.39% | 15.64% |
| 112 |  Sudan's income inequality |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 113 | Armenia's income inequality |
11.28% | 31.52% | 23.47% |
| 114 |  New Zealand's wealth gap |
11.28% | 36.94% | 13.90% |
| 115 |  income distribution in Estonia |
11.27% | 36.71% | 16.84% |
| 116 |  income distribution in Nigeria |
11.26% | 46.80% | 11.54% |
| 117 |  income distribution in Spain |
11.26% | 35.26% | 19.64% |
| 118 |  Cyprus |
11.18% | 36.54% | 18.49% |
| 119 | Georgia's wealth gap |
11.15% | 30.99% | 23.77% |
| 120 |  Burundi |
11.09% | 42.83% | 16.19% |
| 121 |  Taiwan |
11.01% | 36.71% | 16.47% |
| 122 |  income distribution in Vanuatu |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 123 |  Samoa's income inequality |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 124 |  Kiribati's income inequality |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 125 |  income distribution in Fiji |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 126 |  Palau's income inequality |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 127 |  Nauru's wealth gap |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 128 |  income distribution in Solomon Islands |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 129 |  Tuvalu's income inequality |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 130 |  income distribution in Marshall Islands |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 131 |  Tonga |
10.96% | 36.95% | 20.75% |
| 132 |  South Africa's income inequality |
10.85% | 48.79% | 12.75% |
| 133 |  Azerbaijan's wealth gap |
10.82% | 31.49% | 22.99% |
| 134 |  Singapore |
10.43% | 35.43% | 21.12% |
| 135 |  India |
10.27% | 35.99% | 19.82% |
| 136 |  Serbia |
10.20% | 31.59% | 20.72% |
| 137 | Turkmenistan's income inequality |
10.19% | 29.97% | 24.55% |
| 138 | income distribution in Uzbekistan |
9.97% | 30.08% | 24.21% |
| 139 | Switzerland's income inequality |
9.91% | 29.94% | 23.86% |
| 140 |  Japan's wealth gap |
9.84% | 35.48% | 20.69% |
| 141 |  Ireland's income inequality |
9.82% | 32.77% | 22.44% |
| 142 |  income distribution in Germany |
9.60% | 30.96% | 22.40% |
| 143 |  income distribution in Kazakhstan |
9.57% | 31.46% | 22.54% |
| 144 |  Andorra's income inequality |
9.51% | 33.20% | 20.55% |
| 145 |  Bulgaria's income inequality |
9.51% | 32.56% | 21.45% |
| 146 |  income distribution in Liechtenstein |
9.51% | 33.20% | 20.55% |
| 147 |  San Marino's income inequality |
9.51% | 33.20% | 20.55% |
| 148 |  income distribution in Monaco |
9.51% | 33.20% | 20.55% |
| 149 | income distribution in Kyrgyzstan |
9.48% | 28.79% | 25.30% |
| 150 |  United Kingdom's wealth gap |
9.24% | 33.63% | 19.19% |
| 151 |  income distribution in Portugal |
9.20% | 34.77% | 19.79% |
| 152 |  income distribution in Canada |
9.19% | 31.83% | 18.99% |
| 153 | Austria's wealth gap |
9.16% | 31.26% | 23.50% |
| 154 |  income distribution in Greece |
9.15% | 32.80% | 19.07% |
| 155 |  Sao Tome and Principe |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 156 |  China's income inequality |
8.89% | 32.84% | 19.06% |
| 157 |  Macao's wealth gap |
8.85% | 32.71% | 19.39% |
| 158 |  Malta |
8.79% | 30.74% | 21.92% |
| 159 |  France |
8.72% | 30.77% | 21.68% |
| 160 |  Kosovo |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 161 | Tajikistan's income inequality |
8.47% | 27.09% | 26.15% |
| 162 | Denmark |
8.43% | 27.43% | 24.81% |
| 163 | income distribution in Belarus |
8.24% | 27.85% | 26.34% |
| 164 |  income distribution in Lithuania |
8.23% | 33.36% | 20.20% |
| 165 |  income distribution in Moldova |
8.03% | 31.93% | 19.65% |
| 166 | Sweden's income inequality |
7.85% | 26.79% | 26.45% |
| 167 |  Iceland's wealth gap |
7.81% | 30.04% | 22.39% |
| 168 |  income distribution in Belgium |
7.57% | 32.01% | 21.09% |
| 169 | Poland |
7.54% | 25.64% | 25.28% |
| 170 |  income distribution in Montenegro |
7.27% | 29.05% | 21.63% |
| 171 |  income distribution in Albania |
7.24% | 31.28% | 19.29% |
| 172 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
7.18% | 28.78% | 22.09% |
| 173 |  North Macedonia |
7.09% | 28.72% | 21.07% |
| 174 | Romania's wealth gap |
7.06% | 27.85% | 24.81% |
| 175 | Norway |
6.95% | 24.54% | 28.63% |
| 176 |  Australia's wealth gap |
6.87% | 29.26% | 19.14% |
| 177 | Hungary's wealth gap |
6.75% | 26.13% | 26.95% |
| 178 | Italy's wealth gap |
6.33% | 27.31% | 23.42% |
| 179 |  Latvia's wealth gap |
5.98% | 27.05% | 22.91% |
| 180 | Netherlands |
5.95% | 27.16% | 24.80% |
| 181 |  income distribution in Croatia |
5.75% | 30.97% | 20.38% |
| 182 | income distribution in Slovakia |
5.64% | 23.80% | 27.52% |
| 183 | Slovenia's wealth gap |
4.83% | 23.57% | 26.68% |
| 184 | Finland |
3.69% | 23.72% | 25.40% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.