In 1999, 184 countries reported income inequality data. The highest top 1% income concentration was in Malawi at 51.32%. The global average top 1% income share was 16.68%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 1999
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 1999, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 1999
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 |
8.91% | 29.22% | 26.20% |
| 2 |  income distribution in Norway |
9.98% | 29.43% | 25.45% |
| 3 |  Netherlands's income inequality |
6.03% | 27.64% | 24.59% |
| 4 |  Slovakia |
7.80% | 27.91% | 24.55% |
| 5 |  Sweden |
11.86% | 32.00% | 24.17% |
| 6 |  income distribution in Denmark |
11.60% | 31.08% | 23.75% |
| 7 |  Ukraine's wealth gap |
8.56% | 30.93% | 23.70% |
| 8 |  Austria |
8.80% | 30.97% | 23.44% |
| 9 |  Switzerland |
11.06% | 31.75% | 23.23% |
| 10 |  Finland's wealth gap |
12.54% | 33.34% | 23.06% |
| 11 |  Poland |
10.65% | 31.80% | 22.88% |
| 12 |  Slovenia's wealth gap |
7.75% | 30.01% | 22.86% |
| 13 |  Montenegro's income inequality |
7.74% | 29.66% | 22.19% |
| 14 |  Iceland |
8.19% | 30.64% | 21.75% |
| 15 |  Malta's income inequality |
9.23% | 31.21% | 21.70% |
| 16 |  income distribution in Italy |
7.73% | 30.11% | 21.64% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Germany |
10.64% | 32.13% | 21.55% |
| 18 |  Ireland |
11.77% | 34.93% | 21.15% |
| 19 |  Samoa's wealth gap |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 20 |  Marshall Islands |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 1999
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 16.68%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 14.43%
- Highest top 1% share: Malawi (51.32%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Netherlands (6.03%)
Complete Country Rankings for 1999
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Malawi's income inequality |
51.32% | 72.07% | 7.48% |
| 2 |  Maldives's income inequality |
35.61% | 57.72% | 11.37% |
| 3 |  Chile's income inequality |
30.23% | 62.73% | 7.52% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Botswana |
29.66% | 67.63% | 5.95% |
| 5 |  Namibia's wealth gap |
29.39% | 73.25% | 4.62% |
| 6 |  Comoros's income inequality |
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 |  Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 10 |  Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 |  Central African Republic's income inequality |
25.96% | 64.55% | 6.54% |
| 12 |  income distribution in Peru |
25.18% | 55.70% | 8.47% |
| 13 |  income distribution in Mozambique |
24.82% | 60.32% | 9.53% |
| 14 |  Burkina Faso |
24.75% | 59.89% | 10.17% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 16 |  Rwanda's income inequality |
24.11% | 59.84% | 10.13% |
| 17 |  Yemen's wealth gap |
23.67% | 57.31% | 9.88% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 19 |  Bahrain's income inequality |
22.98% | 57.73% | 10.31% |
| 20 |  Qatar's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 21 |  income distribution in Ecuador |
22.86% | 54.43% | 8.90% |
| 22 |  Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 23 |  Philippines's income inequality |
22.61% | 52.37% | 11.64% |
| 24 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 25 |  income distribution in Saint Lucia |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 26 |  income distribution in Saint Kitts and Nevis |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 27 |  Dominica's wealth gap |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 28 |  Grenada's wealth gap |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 29 |  income distribution in Antigua and Barbuda |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 30 |  income distribution in Barbados |
22.48% | 55.03% | 8.18% |
| 31 |  Nicaragua's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 32 |  income distribution in Jamaica |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 33 |  Honduras's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 34 |  Panama's income inequality |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 35 |  Haiti's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 36 |  Guyana's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 37 |  Guatemala |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 38 |  income distribution in Paraguay |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 39 |  Venezuela's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 40 |  Belize's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 41 |  income distribution in Bahamas |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 42 |  Bolivia's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 43 |  Trinidad and Tobago's wealth gap |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 44 |  Suriname |
22.27% | 55.41% | 8.39% |
| 45 |  Turkey's income inequality |
22.24% | 55.64% | 12.33% |
| 46 |  income distribution in Angola |
22.00% | 58.03% | 9.15% |
| 47 |  Tunisia's income inequality |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 48 |  Seychelles's income inequality |
21.80% | 52.63% | 12.28% |
| 49 |  income distribution in Thailand |
21.18% | 54.69% | 10.28% |
| 50 |  income distribution in Kuwait |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 51 |  Iran's income inequality |
20.44% | 54.93% | 11.88% |
| 52 |  Lebanon's wealth gap |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 53 |  Costa Rica's income inequality |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 54 |  Zambia |
20.01% | 55.00% | 10.45% |
| 55 |  Egypt |
19.98% | 51.78% | 14.76% |
| 56 |  income distribution in Lesotho |
19.97% | 58.63% | 7.56% |
| 57 |  Niger's wealth gap |
19.97% | 52.40% | 12.22% |
| 58 |  Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 59 |  United Arab Emirates's income inequality |
19.88% | 55.88% | 10.01% |
| 60 |  Kenya's income inequality |
19.66% | 54.69% | 11.17% |
| 61 |  Georgia's wealth gap |
19.65% | 47.04% | 13.36% |
| 62 |  Palestine's wealth gap |
19.63% | 53.65% | 11.55% |
| 63 |  Malaysia's income inequality |
19.41% | 46.37% | 14.04% |
| 64 |  Uganda's wealth gap |
19.36% | 53.21% | 12.17% |
| 65 |  income distribution in El Salvador |
19.23% | 50.85% | 7.08% |
| 66 |  income distribution in Israel |
19.14% | 50.96% | 12.71% |
| 67 |  Uruguay's income inequality |
19.01% | 48.42% | 13.61% |
| 68 |  Sri Lanka's income inequality |
19.00% | 48.57% | 13.68% |
| 69 |  Gambia |
18.98% | 55.16% | 10.26% |
| 70 |  Cuba's wealth gap |
18.91% | 51.14% | 10.23% |
| 71 |  Cameroon |
18.89% | 52.79% | 12.03% |
| 72 |  Guinea's wealth gap |
18.64% | 52.69% | 11.57% |
| 73 |  income distribution in Congo |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 74 |  Senegal's wealth gap |
18.45% | 51.13% | 12.88% |
| 75 |  Turkmenistan's wealth gap |
18.43% | 48.02% | 13.06% |
| 76 |  Pakistan's wealth gap |
18.17% | 45.27% | 16.23% |
| 77 |  Bhutan |
18.08% | 49.19% | 12.25% |
| 78 |  Somalia's income inequality |
18.05% | 50.07% | 13.59% |
| 79 |  Papua New Guinea |
17.62% | 49.40% | 11.37% |
| 80 |  Armenia |
17.39% | 44.17% | 15.68% |
| 81 |  Jordan's wealth gap |
17.35% | 48.34% | 14.47% |
| 82 |  Uzbekistan's income inequality |
17.32% | 46.90% | 13.15% |
| 83 |  income distribution in Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 84 |  Burundi's income inequality |
16.91% | 49.77% | 13.18% |
| 85 |  Nepal's income inequality |
16.66% | 44.57% | 15.75% |
| 86 |  Azerbaijan |
16.44% | 43.94% | 14.93% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Luxembourg |
16.37% | 39.38% | 19.22% |
| 88 |  income distribution in Benin |
16.35% | 48.83% | 13.88% |
| 89 |  income distribution in Bangladesh |
16.31% | 44.55% | 15.92% |
| 90 |  Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 91 |  Mali's wealth gap |
16.05% | 50.13% | 12.15% |
| 92 |  Guinea-Bissau's income inequality |
16.03% | 47.45% | 14.10% |
| 93 |  Estonia's wealth gap |
15.95% | 41.87% | 15.92% |
| 94 |  Zimbabwe's income inequality |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 95 |  Algeria |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 96 |  Hong Kong's income inequality |
15.58% | 43.38% | 15.85% |
| 97 |  Djibouti's income inequality |
15.41% | 47.90% | 13.47% |
| 98 |  Libya's income inequality |
15.32% | 46.74% | 14.99% |
| 99 |  Mongolia's income inequality |
15.31% | 41.80% | 14.74% |
| 100 |  income distribution in New Zealand |
15.29% | 40.28% | 16.25% |
| 101 |  India |
15.08% | 40.52% | 18.64% |
| 102 |  income distribution in Argentina |
14.86% | 50.57% | 8.17% |
| 103 |  South Africa's wealth gap |
14.77% | 52.56% | 10.76% |
| 104 |  Chad's income inequality |
14.49% | 47.74% | 13.32% |
| 105 |  income distribution in Kazakhstan |
14.27% | 42.80% | 14.67% |
| 106 |  South Sudan's wealth gap |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 107 |  income distribution in Togo |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 108 |  Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 109 |  Indonesia's income inequality |
13.58% | 38.74% | 18.18% |
| 110 |  Ethiopia's wealth gap |
13.56% | 42.45% | 17.69% |
| 111 |  income distribution in Eritrea |
13.56% | 42.45% | 17.69% |
| 112 |  Morocco's wealth gap |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 113 |  income distribution in Taiwan |
13.18% | 40.53% | 13.70% |
| 114 |  North Korea |
12.91% | 40.52% | 16.78% |
| 115 |  Sierra Leone's income inequality |
12.89% | 48.98% | 13.31% |
| 116 |  Greece |
12.87% | 39.56% | 15.78% |
| 117 |  Nigeria's wealth gap |
12.74% | 46.44% | 12.77% |
| 118 |  Singapore |
12.74% | 40.41% | 18.36% |
| 119 |  income distribution in Ghana |
12.71% | 46.29% | 13.27% |
| 120 |  income distribution in Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 121 | income distribution in Samoa |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 122 | income distribution in Marshall Islands |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 123 |  Vanuatu's income inequality |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 124 |  income distribution in Fiji |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 125 |  Solomon Islands's income inequality |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 126 |  income distribution in Tonga |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 127 |  Tuvalu's income inequality |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 128 |  Kiribati's wealth gap |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 129 |  Nauru's income inequality |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 130 |  Palau's income inequality |
12.61% | 38.83% | 20.72% |
| 131 |  income distribution in Tanzania |
12.57% | 45.17% | 14.77% |
| 132 | Finland's wealth gap |
12.54% | 33.34% | 23.06% |
| 133 |  Mexico's income inequality |
12.45% | 54.45% | 6.29% |
| 134 |  Romania's wealth gap |
12.40% | 36.80% | 19.80% |
| 135 |  Kyrgyzstan |
12.28% | 40.32% | 17.48% |
| 136 |  United Kingdom's wealth gap |
12.15% | 36.76% | 18.24% |
| 137 |  Tajikistan's wealth gap |
12.06% | 38.12% | 18.34% |
| 138 |  Equatorial Guinea's income inequality |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 139 |  Belarus's wealth gap |
11.93% | 36.90% | 18.48% |
| 140 | Sweden |
11.86% | 32.00% | 24.17% |
| 141 |  Canada's wealth gap |
11.83% | 35.37% | 17.38% |
| 142 |  income distribution in Madagascar |
11.81% | 45.04% | 13.91% |
| 143 | Ireland |
11.77% | 34.93% | 21.15% |
| 144 | income distribution in Denmark |
11.60% | 31.08% | 23.75% |
| 145 |  Mauritania's income inequality |
11.41% | 45.49% | 14.00% |
| 146 |  Sudan's wealth gap |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 147 |  Spain |
11.18% | 34.65% | 19.71% |
| 148 | Switzerland's wealth gap |
11.06% | 31.75% | 23.23% |
| 149 |  France's income inequality |
11.05% | 33.25% | 20.61% |
| 150 |  Cyprus's wealth gap |
11.00% | 35.72% | 18.97% |
| 151 |  Serbia's wealth gap |
10.92% | 32.30% | 20.68% |
| 152 |  Bulgaria's wealth gap |
10.89% | 36.10% | 19.81% |
| 153 |  income distribution in Liechtenstein |
10.88% | 34.99% | 19.25% |
| 154 |  income distribution in San Marino |
10.88% | 34.99% | 19.25% |
| 155 |  Andorra's income inequality |
10.88% | 34.99% | 19.25% |
| 156 |  Monaco's wealth gap |
10.88% | 34.99% | 19.25% |
| 157 |  income distribution in Portugal |
10.77% | 37.63% | 18.65% |
| 158 | Poland's wealth gap |
10.65% | 31.80% | 22.88% |
| 159 | Germany's income inequality |
10.64% | 32.13% | 21.55% |
| 160 |  income distribution in Japan |
10.49% | 39.10% | 18.60% |
| 161 |  Latvia |
10.25% | 36.56% | 17.45% |
| 162 |  income distribution in China |
10.06% | 34.93% | 18.18% |
| 163 |  Macao |
10.02% | 34.79% | 18.50% |
| 164 | Norway's wealth gap |
9.98% | 29.43% | 25.45% |
| 165 | Malta |
9.23% | 31.21% | 21.70% |
| 166 |  Sao Tome and Principe's income inequality |
9.13% | 39.69% | 16.84% |
| 167 |  Moldova |
9.02% | 35.39% | 16.04% |
| 168 | Hungary's income inequality |
8.91% | 29.22% | 26.20% |
| 169 | Austria's income inequality |
8.80% | 30.97% | 23.44% |
| 170 |  income distribution in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
8.78% | 32.07% | 19.50% |
| 171 | Ukraine |
8.56% | 30.93% | 23.70% |
| 172 |  Kosovo's income inequality |
8.55% | 33.75% | 17.44% |
| 173 |  Albania |
8.49% | 33.14% | 18.49% |
| 174 |  Australia's wealth gap |
8.33% | 31.15% | 17.99% |
| 175 |  Belgium's income inequality |
8.22% | 32.74% | 19.93% |
| 176 | Iceland |
8.19% | 30.64% | 21.75% |
| 177 |  North Macedonia |
7.85% | 31.54% | 17.27% |
| 178 | Slovakia's income inequality |
7.80% | 27.91% | 24.55% |
| 179 | income distribution in Slovenia |
7.75% | 30.01% | 22.86% |
| 180 | Montenegro's income inequality |
7.74% | 29.66% | 22.19% |
| 181 | Italy's wealth gap |
7.73% | 30.11% | 21.64% |
| 182 |  income distribution in Lithuania |
7.41% | 31.79% | 20.63% |
| 183 |  Croatia's wealth gap |
7.38% | 33.47% | 18.09% |
| 184 | Netherlands's income inequality |
6.03% | 27.64% | 24.59% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.