In 1997, 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 16.77%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1997
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1997, 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 |  income distribution in Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Botswana's income inequality |
32.34% | 68.13% | 6.05% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Namibia |
30.64% | 74.10% | 4.17% |
| 5 |  Chile's wealth gap |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 6 |  Comoros's income inequality |
29.13% | 66.96% | 7.73% |
| 7 |  Colombia |
28.83% | 63.97% | 6.35% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Brazil |
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 |  income distribution in Burkina Faso |
25.36% | 61.01% | 9.81% |
| 12 |  Peru's income inequality |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 13 |  Philippines's income inequality |
24.96% | 54.25% | 10.75% |
| 14 |  income distribution in Central African Republic |
24.84% | 64.47% | 6.29% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 16 |  Mozambique |
24.33% | 61.42% | 8.75% |
| 17 |  Rwanda's wealth gap |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 19 |  Qatar's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 20 |  Ecuador |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1997
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 |
8.37% | 27.89% | 27.47% |
| 2 |  Slovakia's wealth gap |
6.57% | 25.92% | 25.44% |
| 3 |  Norway's wealth gap |
10.67% | 30.59% | 24.66% |
| 4 |  Netherlands's wealth gap |
6.08% | 27.68% | 24.43% |
| 5 |  income distribution in Sweden |
11.56% | 31.72% | 24.40% |
| 6 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
10.66% | 29.84% | 24.24% |
| 7 |  income distribution in Slovenia |
6.93% | 28.84% | 23.60% |
| 8 |  Switzerland's wealth gap |
11.48% | 31.97% | 23.27% |
| 9 |  Poland's income inequality |
9.77% | 30.78% | 23.14% |
| 10 |  Finland |
10.58% | 31.72% | 22.93% |
| 11 |  Austria |
9.36% | 31.72% | 22.79% |
| 12 |  Ireland |
10.76% | 33.39% | 22.61% |
| 13 |  Italy's wealth gap |
7.58% | 29.52% | 22.17% |
| 14 |  income distribution in Iceland |
7.85% | 30.32% | 22.15% |
| 15 |  Germany's wealth gap |
10.27% | 31.54% | 22.01% |
| 16 |  Malta's wealth gap |
8.99% | 30.96% | 21.81% |
| 17 |  Ukraine's wealth gap |
11.18% | 35.58% | 21.04% |
| 18 |  Montenegro's income inequality |
8.57% | 30.88% | 21.02% |
| 19 |  income distribution in Tonga |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 20 |  Fiji's wealth gap |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1997
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 16.77%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 14.42%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (64.09%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Netherlands (6.08%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1997
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malawi's wealth gap |
64.09% | 80.29% | 5.20% |
| 2 | Maldives |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 | income distribution in Botswana |
32.34% | 68.13% | 6.05% |
| 4 | Namibia |
30.64% | 74.10% | 4.17% |
| 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 income inequality |
27.24% | 58.61% | 9.12% |
| 9 | income distribution in Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 10 | Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 | income distribution in Burkina Faso |
25.36% | 61.01% | 9.81% |
| 12 | Peru's wealth gap |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 13 | Philippines |
24.96% | 54.25% | 10.75% |
| 14 | income distribution in Central African Republic |
24.84% | 64.47% | 6.29% |
| 15 | income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 16 | Mozambique's income inequality |
24.33% | 61.42% | 8.75% |
| 17 | income distribution in Rwanda |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 18 | Saudi Arabia's income inequality |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 19 | Qatar's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 20 | Ecuador |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 21 |  income distribution in Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 22 |  Yemen |
22.70% | 56.68% | 9.99% |
| 23 |  income distribution in Bahrain |
22.58% | 57.11% | 10.61% |
| 24 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis's wealth gap |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 25 |  Saint Lucia's wealth gap |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 26 |  Dominica |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 27 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines's income inequality |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 28 |  Grenada's wealth gap |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 29 |  Barbados's income inequality |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 30 |  income distribution in Antigua and Barbuda |
22.50% | 55.21% | 8.11% |
| 31 |  Belize |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 32 |  Paraguay's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 33 |  Honduras's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 34 |  Haiti's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 35 |  income distribution in Guyana |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 36 |  Guatemala's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 37 |  Venezuela's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 38 |  Nicaragua's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  Panama |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  Jamaica |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  income distribution in Bolivia |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Suriname |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Turkey's wealth gap |
22.06% | 55.52% | 12.28% |
| 46 |  Angola's income inequality |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 47 |  Tunisia's wealth gap |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 48 |  Seychelles's income inequality |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 49 |  Ethiopia's income inequality |
21.66% | 50.42% | 14.51% |
| 50 |  Eritrea's wealth gap |
21.66% | 50.42% | 14.51% |
| 51 |  Kuwait |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 52 |  Lesotho's wealth gap |
20.94% | 60.92% | 6.54% |
| 53 |  Somalia's income inequality |
20.80% | 52.62% | 12.63% |
| 54 |  Thailand's income inequality |
20.79% | 54.00% | 10.55% |
| 55 |  Lebanon's wealth gap |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 56 |  Costa Rica's income inequality |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 57 |  United Arab Emirates's income inequality |
20.02% | 55.77% | 10.08% |
| 58 |  income distribution in Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 59 |  Malaysia |
19.89% | 47.47% | 13.57% |
| 60 |  Iran's wealth gap |
19.75% | 53.12% | 13.14% |
| 61 |  Palestine's wealth gap |
19.58% | 53.00% | 11.90% |
| 62 |  Zambia |
19.57% | 55.50% | 9.90% |
| 63 |  El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 64 |  Kenya's income inequality |
19.06% | 54.56% | 11.26% |
| 65 |  Uruguay's wealth gap |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 66 |  Israel |
18.91% | 50.68% | 12.85% |
| 67 |  Cuba's income inequality |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 68 |  Niger's wealth gap |
18.70% | 51.44% | 12.46% |
| 69 |  Guinea's wealth gap |
18.68% | 53.19% | 11.25% |
| 70 |  income distribution in Georgia |
18.68% | 46.54% | 13.27% |
| 71 |  income distribution in Cameroon |
18.62% | 53.80% | 11.68% |
| 72 |  Egypt's income inequality |
18.61% | 49.43% | 16.09% |
| 73 |  Gambia's wealth gap |
18.57% | 55.26% | 10.21% |
| 74 |  Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 75 |  income distribution in Armenia |
18.44% | 45.87% | 14.23% |
| 76 |  Mali's income inequality |
18.29% | 53.51% | 11.01% |
| 77 |  income distribution in Bhutan |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 78 |  income distribution in Papua New Guinea |
17.87% | 49.95% | 11.09% |
| 79 |  income distribution in Senegal |
17.80% | 50.43% | 13.12% |
| 80 |  Sri Lanka's income inequality |
17.65% | 47.02% | 14.43% |
| 81 |  Pakistan |
17.64% | 44.12% | 16.93% |
| 82 |  income distribution in Estonia |
17.36% | 43.89% | 15.22% |
| 83 |  income distribution in Nepal |
17.26% | 45.20% | 15.60% |
| 84 |  Guinea-Bissau's income inequality |
17.24% | 49.14% | 13.31% |
| 85 |  Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 86 |  Turkmenistan's wealth gap |
17.03% | 44.98% | 15.01% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Indonesia |
16.88% | 44.05% | 15.28% |
| 88 |  income distribution in Uganda |
16.69% | 50.33% | 13.18% |
| 89 |  Azerbaijan |
16.48% | 43.77% | 14.61% |
| 90 |  Bangladesh |
16.47% | 44.68% | 16.11% |
| 91 |  Burundi's wealth gap |
16.42% | 49.16% | 13.38% |
| 92 |  Benin |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 93 |  Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 94 |  Uzbekistan |
16.20% | 45.27% | 13.88% |
| 95 |  Zimbabwe's income inequality |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 96 |  Jordan's wealth gap |
15.87% | 46.47% | 15.12% |
| 97 |  Algeria's wealth gap |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 98 |  income distribution in Djibouti |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 99 |  Libya's wealth gap |
15.15% | 46.57% | 15.05% |
| 100 |  Luxembourg's income inequality |
15.09% | 37.76% | 19.96% |
| 101 |  income distribution in Mongolia |
15.03% | 41.69% | 14.69% |
| 102 |  Argentina's income inequality |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 103 |  Madagascar |
14.84% | 47.01% | 13.71% |
| 104 |  income distribution in Hong Kong |
14.78% | 42.50% | 16.46% |
| 105 |  income distribution in Kyrgyzstan |
14.56% | 40.92% | 17.60% |
| 106 |  Chad's wealth gap |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 107 |  South Sudan |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 108 |  income distribution in India |
14.19% | 39.75% | 18.83% |
| 109 |  Togo |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 110 |  income distribution in Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 111 |  Morocco's wealth gap |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 112 |  income distribution in South Africa |
13.38% | 50.50% | 11.80% |
| 113 |  Belarus |
13.30% | 37.56% | 18.65% |
| 114 |  Romania's wealth gap |
13.05% | 37.57% | 19.50% |
| 115 |  Sierra Leone's income inequality |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 116 |  Kazakhstan's income inequality |
12.86% | 41.41% | 15.38% |
| 117 |  North Korea's income inequality |
12.74% | 39.97% | 17.16% |
| 118 |  Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 119 |  New Zealand's income inequality |
12.62% | 37.70% | 13.95% |
| 120 |  Mexico's income inequality |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 121 |  Ghana's wealth gap |
12.41% | 45.89% | 13.51% |
| 122 |  Nigeria |
12.31% | 46.54% | 12.42% |
| 123 |  Tanzania's income inequality |
12.31% | 44.66% | 15.02% |
| 124 | income distribution in Tonga |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 125 | income distribution in Fiji |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 126 |  Vanuatu's income inequality |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 127 |  income distribution in Marshall Islands |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 128 |  income distribution in Samoa |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 129 |  income distribution in Bulgaria |
12.18% | 38.01% | 18.58% |
| 130 |  Nauru's income inequality |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 131 |  Solomon Islands's wealth gap |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 132 |  Palau |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 133 |  Kiribati's income inequality |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 134 |  Tuvalu |
12.18% | 38.34% | 20.73% |
| 135 |  United Kingdom |
12.08% | 35.62% | 18.71% |
| 136 |  Taiwan's income inequality |
12.06% | 38.89% | 14.40% |
| 137 |  Equatorial Guinea's wealth gap |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 138 |  Mauritania's income inequality |
11.97% | 45.22% | 14.26% |
| 139 | income distribution in Sweden |
11.56% | 31.72% | 24.40% |
| 140 |  Serbia's wealth gap |
11.52% | 32.87% | 19.98% |
| 141 | Switzerland's income inequality |
11.48% | 31.97% | 23.27% |
| 142 |  Greece's wealth gap |
11.46% | 37.87% | 15.99% |
| 143 |  Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 144 | Ukraine's income inequality |
11.18% | 35.58% | 21.04% |
| 145 |  Canada |
11.13% | 34.64% | 17.29% |
| 146 |  Tajikistan |
11.03% | 34.96% | 20.59% |
| 147 |  income distribution in Spain |
10.97% | 34.30% | 20.12% |
| 148 |  income distribution in Moldova |
10.82% | 37.73% | 15.32% |
| 149 | Ireland |
10.76% | 33.39% | 22.61% |
| 150 |  Monaco |
10.68% | 34.82% | 19.18% |
| 151 |  San Marino's wealth gap |
10.68% | 34.82% | 19.18% |
| 152 |  Liechtenstein's wealth gap |
10.68% | 34.82% | 19.18% |
| 153 |  Andorra |
10.68% | 34.82% | 19.18% |
| 154 | income distribution in Norway |
10.67% | 30.59% | 24.66% |
| 155 |  income distribution in France |
10.67% | 32.62% | 20.73% |
| 156 | income distribution in Denmark |
10.66% | 29.84% | 24.24% |
| 157 | income distribution in Finland |
10.58% | 31.72% | 22.93% |
| 158 |  Singapore |
10.48% | 35.16% | 20.50% |
| 159 |  income distribution in Japan |
10.33% | 38.02% | 18.98% |
| 160 | Germany's income inequality |
10.27% | 31.54% | 22.01% |
| 161 |  income distribution in Portugal |
10.13% | 37.02% | 18.36% |
| 162 |  Latvia |
10.12% | 35.90% | 18.02% |
| 163 |  income distribution in Cyprus |
10.10% | 34.51% | 19.23% |
| 164 | Poland's income inequality |
9.77% | 30.78% | 23.14% |
| 165 |  China's income inequality |
9.69% | 34.06% | 18.76% |
| 166 |  income distribution in Macao |
9.65% | 33.91% | 19.09% |
| 167 | Austria's wealth gap |
9.36% | 31.72% | 22.79% |
| 168 |  North Macedonia |
9.32% | 34.74% | 17.45% |
| 169 |  Sao Tome and Principe |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 170 | Malta's wealth gap |
8.99% | 30.96% | 21.81% |
| 171 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
8.82% | 31.68% | 20.05% |
| 172 |  Lithuania's income inequality |
8.73% | 33.54% | 20.34% |
| 173 | income distribution in Montenegro |
8.57% | 30.88% | 21.02% |
| 174 |  income distribution in Kosovo |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 175 |  Albania |
8.39% | 32.94% | 18.63% |
| 176 | Hungary |
8.37% | 27.89% | 27.47% |
| 177 |  income distribution in Belgium |
8.32% | 32.85% | 20.49% |
| 178 | Iceland |
7.85% | 30.32% | 22.15% |
| 179 |  Croatia's wealth gap |
7.59% | 33.06% | 19.55% |
| 180 | Italy |
7.58% | 29.52% | 22.17% |
| 181 |  income distribution in Australia |
7.51% | 30.34% | 18.54% |
| 182 | Slovenia's income inequality |
6.93% | 28.84% | 23.60% |
| 183 | Slovakia's wealth gap |
6.57% | 25.92% | 25.44% |
| 184 | income distribution in Netherlands |
6.08% | 27.68% | 24.43% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.