In 1996, 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 16.72%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1996
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1996, 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 |  Maldives's income inequality |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Botswana |
33.68% | 68.37% | 6.11% |
| 4 |  Namibia |
31.27% | 74.53% | 3.94% |
| 5 |  Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 |  income distribution in Comoros |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 7 |  Colombia |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 8 |  Brazil's wealth gap |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 9 |  Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 10 |  Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 |  income distribution in Ethiopia |
25.69% | 54.38% | 12.93% |
| 12 |  income distribution in Eritrea |
25.69% | 54.38% | 12.93% |
| 13 |  Peru's income inequality |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 14 |  Iraq's income inequality |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 15 |  Central African Republic |
24.28% | 64.44% | 6.17% |
| 16 |  income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Mozambique |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 18 |  Burkina Faso's wealth gap |
24.00% | 59.99% | 9.91% |
| 19 |  income distribution in Philippines |
23.28% | 52.99% | 11.17% |
| 20 |  Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1996
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's wealth gap |
8.09% | 26.70% | 27.93% |
| 2 |  Slovakia's income inequality |
6.06% | 25.51% | 25.63% |
| 3 |  Norway's income inequality |
9.90% | 29.29% | 25.46% |
| 4 |  Sweden |
10.70% | 30.67% | 24.98% |
| 5 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
9.79% | 28.74% | 24.74% |
| 6 |  income distribution in Netherlands |
5.94% | 27.53% | 24.56% |
| 7 |  income distribution in Switzerland |
11.00% | 31.38% | 23.48% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Finland |
9.04% | 29.97% | 23.34% |
| 9 |  Slovenia's wealth gap |
6.62% | 28.82% | 23.02% |
| 10 |  income distribution in Austria |
9.13% | 31.30% | 22.97% |
| 11 |  Poland's income inequality |
9.03% | 30.83% | 22.85% |
| 12 |  Ireland's income inequality |
9.73% | 31.71% | 22.49% |
| 13 |  Germany's wealth gap |
9.54% | 30.64% | 22.48% |
| 14 |  income distribution in Iceland |
7.73% | 30.24% | 22.32% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Italy |
7.47% | 29.23% | 22.17% |
| 16 |  Malta's wealth gap |
8.89% | 30.86% | 21.85% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Tajikistan |
10.52% | 33.38% | 21.71% |
| 18 |  Montenegro |
8.50% | 30.75% | 21.06% |
| 19 |  France's wealth gap |
10.22% | 32.22% | 21.05% |
| 20 |  Luxembourg's income inequality |
13.86% | 36.28% | 20.73% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1996
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 16.72%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 14.46%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Netherlands (5.94%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1996
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 | Maldives's income inequality |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 | Botswana |
33.68% | 68.37% | 6.11% |
| 4 | Namibia |
31.27% | 74.53% | 3.94% |
| 5 | income distribution in Chile |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 | Comoros |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 7 | Colombia's wealth gap |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 8 | Brazil's wealth gap |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 9 | Cambodia's wealth gap |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 10 | Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 | Ethiopia |
25.69% | 54.38% | 12.93% |
| 12 | income distribution in Eritrea |
25.69% | 54.38% | 12.93% |
| 13 | income distribution in Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 14 | Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 15 | income distribution in Central African Republic |
24.28% | 64.44% | 6.17% |
| 16 | income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 17 | Mozambique |
24.09% | 61.97% | 8.37% |
| 18 | income distribution in Burkina Faso |
24.00% | 59.99% | 9.91% |
| 19 | Philippines's income inequality |
23.28% | 52.99% | 11.17% |
| 20 | income distribution in Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 21 |  Qatar's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 22 |  Ecuador's wealth gap |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 23 |  Dominican Republic's wealth gap |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 24 |  Yemen's wealth gap |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 25 |  income distribution in Saint Lucia |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 26 |  Antigua and Barbuda's income inequality |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 27 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 28 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's income inequality |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 29 |  Dominica's wealth gap |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 30 |  Barbados |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 31 |  Grenada |
22.51% | 55.31% | 8.07% |
| 32 |  Bahrain's wealth gap |
22.39% | 56.81% | 10.75% |
| 33 |  Panama's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 34 |  Haiti |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 35 |  Guyana |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 36 |  Honduras |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 37 |  Guatemala's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 38 |  Suriname's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  Trinidad and Tobago's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Belize |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Nicaragua's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  Bolivia's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Jamaica's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 46 |  Venezuela's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 47 |  income distribution in Thailand |
22.22% | 55.23% | 10.32% |
| 48 |  Angola's income inequality |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 49 |  Turkey's wealth gap |
21.97% | 55.46% | 12.25% |
| 50 |  Somalia's income inequality |
21.94% | 53.57% | 12.25% |
| 51 |  Tunisia's wealth gap |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 52 |  Seychelles |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 53 |  income distribution in Lesotho |
21.42% | 62.07% | 6.03% |
| 54 |  income distribution in Kuwait |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 55 |  Lebanon |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 56 |  Palestine |
20.18% | 53.50% | 11.75% |
| 57 |  Costa Rica's income inequality |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 58 |  United Arab Emirates |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 59 |  Oman's wealth gap |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 60 |  Iran's wealth gap |
19.90% | 53.32% | 13.03% |
| 61 |  Malaysia's income inequality |
19.79% | 47.29% | 13.63% |
| 62 |  Indonesia's income inequality |
19.51% | 48.23% | 12.99% |
| 63 |  Mali's income inequality |
19.41% | 55.19% | 10.44% |
| 64 |  El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 65 |  Kenya |
19.03% | 53.42% | 11.63% |
| 66 |  Uruguay's wealth gap |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 67 |  Zambia's wealth gap |
19.00% | 54.99% | 10.02% |
| 68 |  income distribution in Armenia |
18.97% | 46.77% | 13.48% |
| 69 |  income distribution in Cuba |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 70 |  Israel's wealth gap |
18.89% | 50.58% | 12.95% |
| 71 |  income distribution in Guinea |
18.70% | 53.43% | 11.10% |
| 72 |  Gambia's income inequality |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 73 |  income distribution in Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 74 |  Georgia's wealth gap |
18.53% | 45.03% | 14.50% |
| 75 |  income distribution in Cameroon |
18.49% | 54.31% | 11.51% |
| 76 |  Estonia |
18.19% | 44.14% | 15.05% |
| 77 |  Bhutan |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 78 |  income distribution in Papua New Guinea |
18.06% | 50.25% | 10.91% |
| 79 |  Niger's income inequality |
18.06% | 50.96% | 12.58% |
| 80 |  Madagascar's income inequality |
18.00% | 49.39% | 13.12% |
| 81 |  income distribution in Egypt |
17.87% | 48.16% | 16.81% |
| 82 |  income distribution in Guinea-Bissau |
17.84% | 49.99% | 12.92% |
| 83 |  Nepal's wealth gap |
17.59% | 45.55% | 15.50% |
| 84 |  Senegal |
17.48% | 50.09% | 13.24% |
| 85 |  Jordan |
17.41% | 48.14% | 14.43% |
| 86 |  Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Sri Lanka |
16.92% | 46.18% | 14.82% |
| 88 |  Pakistan |
16.65% | 42.22% | 17.87% |
| 89 |  Bangladesh's wealth gap |
16.58% | 44.77% | 16.19% |
| 90 |  Benin's income inequality |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 91 |  income distribution in Azerbaijan |
16.28% | 43.43% | 14.65% |
| 92 |  income distribution in Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 93 |  Zimbabwe |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 94 |  income distribution in Algeria |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 95 |  income distribution in Turkmenistan |
15.66% | 41.98% | 16.92% |
| 96 |  income distribution in Djibouti |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 97 |  Burundi's wealth gap |
15.36% | 47.90% | 13.94% |
| 98 |  Uganda's wealth gap |
15.35% | 48.89% | 13.69% |
| 99 |  income distribution in Libya |
15.15% | 46.56% | 15.05% |
| 100 |  Uzbekistan's wealth gap |
14.96% | 42.24% | 15.95% |
| 101 |  Mongolia |
14.93% | 42.10% | 14.30% |
| 102 |  Argentina's wealth gap |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 103 |  Chad's income inequality |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 104 |  income distribution in Hong Kong |
14.36% | 42.05% | 16.78% |
| 105 |  income distribution in South Sudan |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 106 |  Togo's wealth gap |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 107 | income distribution in Luxembourg |
13.86% | 36.28% | 20.73% |
| 108 |  Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 109 |  India |
13.56% | 38.94% | 19.05% |
| 110 |  Kyrgyzstan's wealth gap |
13.54% | 38.49% | 19.15% |
| 111 |  Morocco's wealth gap |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 112 |  Sierra Leone |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 113 |  income distribution in Bulgaria |
12.83% | 38.87% | 18.56% |
| 114 |  income distribution in North Korea |
12.73% | 39.94% | 17.14% |
| 115 |  income distribution in Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 116 |  South Africa's income inequality |
12.69% | 49.47% | 12.32% |
| 117 |  Ghana |
12.64% | 46.08% | 13.60% |
| 118 |  Ukraine's income inequality |
12.48% | 37.86% | 19.72% |
| 119 |  Mexico's income inequality |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 120 |  Belarus |
12.42% | 35.59% | 20.04% |
| 121 |  Kazakhstan's income inequality |
12.28% | 40.82% | 15.62% |
| 122 |  income distribution in Mauritania |
12.25% | 45.09% | 14.39% |
| 123 |  income distribution in Tanzania |
12.18% | 44.41% | 15.15% |
| 124 |  Romania's income inequality |
12.11% | 36.39% | 19.99% |
| 125 |  Nigeria |
12.10% | 46.59% | 12.25% |
| 126 |  income distribution in Equatorial Guinea |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 127 |  Solomon Islands's wealth gap |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 128 |  income distribution in Samoa |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 129 |  Fiji's wealth gap |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 130 |  Vanuatu's wealth gap |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 131 |  Marshall Islands's income inequality |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 132 |  Kiribati |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 133 |  income distribution in Nauru |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 134 |  income distribution in Tonga |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 135 |  income distribution in Tuvalu |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 136 |  income distribution in Palau |
11.95% | 38.08% | 20.73% |
| 137 |  income distribution in New Zealand |
11.83% | 36.53% | 14.32% |
| 138 |  Taiwan's income inequality |
11.70% | 38.34% | 14.66% |
| 139 |  income distribution in United Kingdom |
11.59% | 35.64% | 18.70% |
| 140 |  Spain's income inequality |
11.52% | 35.37% | 19.52% |
| 141 |  Serbia's income inequality |
11.43% | 32.82% | 20.08% |
| 142 |  Sudan's wealth gap |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 143 | income distribution in Switzerland |
11.00% | 31.38% | 23.48% |
| 144 |  Japan's wealth gap |
10.91% | 38.26% | 18.97% |
| 145 |  Cyprus's wealth gap |
10.81% | 35.58% | 18.85% |
| 146 | Sweden's income inequality |
10.70% | 30.67% | 24.98% |
| 147 | income distribution in Tajikistan |
10.52% | 33.38% | 21.71% |
| 148 |  Canada |
10.39% | 33.83% | 17.52% |
| 149 |  Moldova's income inequality |
10.26% | 36.72% | 15.92% |
| 150 | France's income inequality |
10.22% | 32.22% | 21.05% |
| 151 |  income distribution in North Macedonia |
10.22% | 36.27% | 14.91% |
| 152 |  Singapore's wealth gap |
10.15% | 35.11% | 20.51% |
| 153 |  San Marino |
10.09% | 34.04% | 19.50% |
| 154 |  Monaco |
10.09% | 34.04% | 19.50% |
| 155 |  Andorra's income inequality |
10.09% | 34.04% | 19.50% |
| 156 |  Liechtenstein |
10.09% | 34.04% | 19.50% |
| 157 |  Greece |
10.02% | 35.98% | 17.03% |
| 158 |  Latvia's income inequality |
9.96% | 35.69% | 18.35% |
| 159 | Norway's income inequality |
9.90% | 29.29% | 25.46% |
| 160 | Denmark's wealth gap |
9.79% | 28.74% | 24.74% |
| 161 | Ireland |
9.73% | 31.71% | 22.49% |
| 162 |  China's wealth gap |
9.69% | 34.05% | 18.73% |
| 163 |  Portugal |
9.67% | 36.20% | 18.51% |
| 164 |  income distribution in Macao |
9.65% | 33.90% | 19.06% |
| 165 | income distribution in Germany |
9.54% | 30.64% | 22.48% |
| 166 |  income distribution in Sao Tome and Principe |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 167 | Austria's income inequality |
9.13% | 31.30% | 22.97% |
| 168 | income distribution in Finland |
9.04% | 29.97% | 23.34% |
| 169 | income distribution in Poland |
9.03% | 30.83% | 22.85% |
| 170 | Malta's wealth gap |
8.89% | 30.86% | 21.85% |
| 171 |  Lithuania's wealth gap |
8.78% | 34.22% | 19.27% |
| 172 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina's income inequality |
8.71% | 31.34% | 20.38% |
| 173 |  Kosovo's wealth gap |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 174 | Montenegro |
8.50% | 30.75% | 21.06% |
| 175 |  Belgium |
8.31% | 32.75% | 20.55% |
| 176 |  Australia |
8.29% | 30.94% | 18.68% |
| 177 |  Albania |
8.13% | 32.53% | 18.91% |
| 178 | Hungary's income inequality |
8.09% | 26.70% | 27.93% |
| 179 | income distribution in Iceland |
7.73% | 30.24% | 22.32% |
| 180 | Italy's income inequality |
7.47% | 29.23% | 22.17% |
| 181 |  Croatia |
7.16% | 32.59% | 19.67% |
| 182 | Slovenia's income inequality |
6.62% | 28.82% | 23.02% |
| 183 | income distribution in Slovakia |
6.06% | 25.51% | 25.63% |
| 184 | Netherlands's wealth gap |
5.94% | 27.53% | 24.56% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.