In 2005, 184 countries reported income inequality data. The highest top 1% income concentration was in Chile at 32.40%. The global average top 1% income share was 17.06%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 2005
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 2005, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chile |
32.40% | 63.09% | 7.56% |
| 2 |  Central African Republic's income inequality |
29.32% | 64.79% | 7.27% |
| 3 |  Yemen's wealth gap |
29.00% | 60.77% | 9.26% |
| 4 |  Maldives |
28.70% | 53.16% | 12.33% |
| 5 |  Brazil's wealth gap |
28.31% | 60.49% | 9.07% |
| 6 |  Comoros's wealth gap |
27.63% | 65.29% | 8.09% |
| 7 |  Rwanda's income inequality |
27.04% | 62.87% | 9.01% |
| 8 |  Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 9 |  Namibia |
26.68% | 70.77% | 5.71% |
| 10 |  Myanmar's income inequality |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 |  Botswana's income inequality |
26.41% | 65.93% | 6.41% |
| 12 |  Colombia's income inequality |
24.86% | 61.11% | 7.76% |
| 13 |  Mozambique's income inequality |
24.51% | 57.16% | 10.96% |
| 14 |  Peru's income inequality |
24.47% | 58.72% | 7.43% |
| 15 |  Iraq's wealth gap |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 16 |  Bahrain |
24.23% | 59.70% | 9.38% |
| 17 |  income distribution in Niger |
23.80% | 55.26% | 11.50% |
| 18 |  Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 19 |  El Salvador's wealth gap |
23.07% | 51.14% | 6.96% |
| 20 |  Qatar's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 2005
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 |  income distribution in Hungary |
11.79% | 33.38% | 24.27% |
| 2 |  income distribution in Sweden |
11.88% | 32.64% | 24.20% |
| 3 |  Denmark's wealth gap |
11.21% | 30.81% | 24.06% |
| 4 |  Netherlands's income inequality |
7.18% | 29.72% | 23.18% |
| 5 |  Austria's income inequality |
9.37% | 32.05% | 23.03% |
| 6 |  income distribution in Finland |
11.01% | 32.13% | 22.77% |
| 7 |  Slovakia's income inequality |
9.67% | 30.79% | 22.74% |
| 8 |  Slovenia's wealth gap |
7.47% | 30.27% | 22.32% |
| 9 |  Iceland |
10.05% | 30.98% | 22.29% |
| 10 |  Malta's income inequality |
8.20% | 30.12% | 22.20% |
| 11 |  Norway's income inequality |
17.83% | 37.72% | 21.95% |
| 12 |  Switzerland's income inequality |
12.93% | 34.29% | 21.88% |
| 13 |  Italy's wealth gap |
8.15% | 30.66% | 21.59% |
| 14 |  New Zealand's wealth gap |
16.10% | 36.73% | 21.55% |
| 15 |  Cyprus's income inequality |
7.83% | 30.52% | 21.45% |
| 16 |  Belarus's wealth gap |
10.05% | 33.68% | 21.14% |
| 17 |  Ukraine's income inequality |
10.26% | 34.45% | 20.92% |
| 18 |  Spain's wealth gap |
10.82% | 33.71% | 20.61% |
| 19 |  Ireland |
13.26% | 37.09% | 20.27% |
| 20 |  Belgium |
8.44% | 31.97% | 20.23% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 2005
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 17.06%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 14.17%
- Highest top 1% share: Chile (32.40%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Netherlands (7.18%)
Complete Country Rankings for 2005
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | income distribution in Chile |
32.40% | 63.09% | 7.56% |
| 2 | Central African Republic's wealth gap |
29.32% | 64.79% | 7.27% |
| 3 | income distribution in Yemen |
29.00% | 60.77% | 9.26% |
| 4 | Maldives's wealth gap |
28.70% | 53.16% | 12.33% |
| 5 | Brazil |
28.31% | 60.49% | 9.07% |
| 6 | Comoros's income inequality |
27.63% | 65.29% | 8.09% |
| 7 | Rwanda's income inequality |
27.04% | 62.87% | 9.01% |
| 8 | Cambodia's income inequality |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 9 | Namibia's wealth gap |
26.68% | 70.77% | 5.71% |
| 10 | Myanmar's income inequality |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 11 | income distribution in Botswana |
26.41% | 65.93% | 6.41% |
| 12 | Colombia's income inequality |
24.86% | 61.11% | 7.76% |
| 13 | Mozambique's income inequality |
24.51% | 57.16% | 10.96% |
| 14 | Peru |
24.47% | 58.72% | 7.43% |
| 15 | Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 16 | Bahrain |
24.23% | 59.70% | 9.38% |
| 17 | income distribution in Niger |
23.80% | 55.26% | 11.50% |
| 18 | Saudi Arabia's wealth gap |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 19 | income distribution in El Salvador |
23.07% | 51.14% | 6.96% |
| 20 | Qatar's wealth gap |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 21 |  Thailand's wealth gap |
22.86% | 54.87% | 10.58% |
| 22 |  Dominican Republic's wealth gap |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 23 |  Suriname's income inequality |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 24 |  Paraguay's income inequality |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 25 |  Nicaragua's wealth gap |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 26 |  Panama |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 27 |  Guyana's income inequality |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 28 |  income distribution in Haiti |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 29 |  Honduras |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 30 |  Jamaica's wealth gap |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 31 |  income distribution in Guatemala |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 32 |  Bolivia's income inequality |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 33 |  income distribution in Bahamas |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 34 |  Belize's income inequality |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 35 |  Trinidad and Tobago |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 36 |  Venezuela's wealth gap |
22.75% | 55.48% | 8.70% |
| 37 |  income distribution in Zambia |
22.35% | 60.61% | 7.88% |
| 38 |  Ecuador |
22.14% | 51.08% | 10.04% |
| 39 |  Tunisia's income inequality |
21.90% | 57.53% | 11.12% |
| 40 |  Antigua and Barbuda |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 41 |  Barbados |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 42 |  income distribution in Saint Kitts and Nevis |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 43 |  income distribution in Saint Lucia |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 44 |  Grenada's income inequality |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 45 |  income distribution in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 46 |  Dominica's wealth gap |
21.76% | 54.16% | 8.43% |
| 47 |  income distribution in Palestine |
21.62% | 55.40% | 10.54% |
| 48 |  Kenya's income inequality |
21.47% | 55.11% | 10.88% |
| 49 |  income distribution in Sri Lanka |
21.15% | 49.85% | 13.01% |
| 50 |  Kuwait's wealth gap |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 51 |  Gambia's wealth gap |
20.83% | 54.42% | 10.86% |
| 52 |  Seychelles |
20.78% | 52.17% | 12.15% |
| 53 |  Hong Kong |
20.75% | 48.76% | 13.31% |
| 54 |  Jordan's income inequality |
20.49% | 51.68% | 13.09% |
| 55 |  income distribution in Lebanon |
20.41% | 51.11% | 12.18% |
| 56 |  Costa Rica |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 57 |  Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 58 |  income distribution in India |
19.71% | 46.55% | 16.48% |
| 59 |  Israel's income inequality |
19.65% | 52.14% | 11.75% |
| 60 |  income distribution in Malawi |
19.62% | 52.06% | 12.87% |
| 61 |  Egypt's income inequality |
19.40% | 50.51% | 14.85% |
| 62 |  income distribution in Iran |
19.32% | 52.91% | 12.09% |
| 63 |  Pakistan's wealth gap |
19.30% | 46.88% | 15.19% |
| 64 |  Estonia's wealth gap |
19.25% | 44.72% | 14.77% |
| 65 |  United Arab Emirates's wealth gap |
18.90% | 56.71% | 9.45% |
| 66 |  income distribution in Turkmenistan |
18.88% | 48.38% | 12.64% |
| 67 |  income distribution in Georgia |
18.80% | 45.17% | 14.29% |
| 68 |  Madagascar's wealth gap |
18.57% | 50.56% | 13.39% |
| 69 |  Congo's income inequality |
18.57% | 54.53% | 10.39% |
| 70 |  Turkey |
18.54% | 50.83% | 14.22% |
| 71 |  Luxembourg |
18.53% | 42.58% | 18.30% |
| 72 |  South Africa's wealth gap |
18.34% | 59.06% | 10.16% |
| 73 |  income distribution in Armenia |
18.33% | 45.00% | 16.48% |
| 74 |  income distribution in Taiwan |
18.24% | 46.63% | 10.49% |
| 75 |  Philippines's wealth gap |
18.07% | 49.08% | 12.10% |
| 76 |  Somalia's income inequality |
18.06% | 50.25% | 13.51% |
| 77 |  Mexico |
18.03% | 59.14% | 5.99% |
| 78 |  Uganda's wealth gap |
18.01% | 52.54% | 12.09% |
| 79 |  Uruguay's wealth gap |
17.96% | 48.90% | 12.96% |
| 80 |  income distribution in Cuba |
17.88% | 48.90% | 11.31% |
| 81 | Norway |
17.83% | 37.72% | 21.95% |
| 82 |  Angola's income inequality |
17.82% | 52.60% | 11.07% |
| 83 |  Lesotho's income inequality |
17.71% | 54.06% | 9.54% |
| 84 |  Malaysia's income inequality |
17.32% | 45.46% | 14.19% |
| 85 |  Gabon |
17.14% | 50.78% | 12.51% |
| 86 |  Mongolia |
17.10% | 44.95% | 13.30% |
| 87 |  Burkina Faso's income inequality |
16.98% | 50.90% | 12.41% |
| 88 |  income distribution in Papua New Guinea |
16.96% | 47.68% | 12.21% |
| 89 |  Cameroon |
16.83% | 50.81% | 12.08% |
| 90 |  Bangladesh |
16.77% | 45.48% | 15.16% |
| 91 |  Uzbekistan's wealth gap |
16.58% | 45.47% | 14.67% |
| 92 |  income distribution in Bhutan |
16.50% | 46.74% | 13.29% |
| 93 |  Afghanistan's income inequality |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 94 |  income distribution in Indonesia |
16.12% | 42.41% | 16.04% |
| 95 | income distribution in New Zealand |
16.10% | 36.73% | 21.55% |
| 96 |  Benin's wealth gap |
16.10% | 49.60% | 13.38% |
| 97 |  Djibouti's income inequality |
15.94% | 49.03% | 13.01% |
| 98 |  Zimbabwe |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 99 |  income distribution in Ghana |
15.83% | 49.83% | 12.44% |
| 100 |  Algeria |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 101 |  Libya |
15.71% | 47.07% | 14.98% |
| 102 |  Kazakhstan |
15.58% | 42.01% | 16.14% |
| 103 |  income distribution in Tajikistan |
15.48% | 42.32% | 16.02% |
| 104 |  Nepal's wealth gap |
15.48% | 43.31% | 15.80% |
| 105 |  Guinea's wealth gap |
15.33% | 48.73% | 13.06% |
| 106 |  Guinea-Bissau's wealth gap |
15.29% | 50.64% | 13.14% |
| 107 |  Tanzania's wealth gap |
15.14% | 48.33% | 13.71% |
| 108 |  Mauritania |
15.13% | 48.31% | 13.82% |
| 109 |  Eritrea's income inequality |
15.10% | 43.32% | 17.35% |
| 110 |  Ethiopia |
15.10% | 43.32% | 17.35% |
| 111 |  Romania's income inequality |
15.01% | 41.56% | 16.47% |
| 112 |  Chad's wealth gap |
14.79% | 48.13% | 13.06% |
| 113 |  Kyrgyzstan |
14.71% | 42.41% | 16.10% |
| 114 |  Azerbaijan's wealth gap |
14.70% | 39.16% | 19.49% |
| 115 |  North Korea |
14.70% | 43.52% | 14.73% |
| 116 |  income distribution in Palau |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 117 |  Vanuatu's income inequality |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 118 |  income distribution in Tuvalu |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 119 |  Marshall Islands |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 120 |  Tonga |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 121 |  income distribution in Kiribati |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 122 |  Fiji's wealth gap |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 123 |  Solomon Islands's income inequality |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 124 |  Samoa's income inequality |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 125 |  Nauru's wealth gap |
14.64% | 43.26% | 18.57% |
| 126 |  Serbia |
14.63% | 38.47% | 15.81% |
| 127 |  income distribution in China |
14.34% | 42.28% | 14.17% |
| 128 |  Macao's wealth gap |
14.30% | 42.16% | 14.42% |
| 129 |  United Kingdom's income inequality |
14.28% | 38.40% | 18.15% |
| 130 |  South Sudan's wealth gap |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 131 |  Togo's income inequality |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 132 |  income distribution in Canada |
14.02% | 38.07% | 16.95% |
| 133 |  Singapore |
13.82% | 41.67% | 18.69% |
| 134 |  Mauritius's wealth gap |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 135 |  Argentina's income inequality |
13.54% | 46.74% | 10.92% |
| 136 |  Poland's wealth gap |
13.52% | 36.22% | 19.51% |
| 137 |  Senegal's wealth gap |
13.50% | 46.77% | 13.75% |
| 138 |  Burundi's income inequality |
13.46% | 45.81% | 15.35% |
| 139 |  Morocco's wealth gap |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 140 |  Japan's income inequality |
13.39% | 44.40% | 16.31% |
| 141 | Ireland's income inequality |
13.26% | 37.09% | 20.27% |
| 142 |  Mali's wealth gap |
13.02% | 46.87% | 13.87% |
| 143 | income distribution in Switzerland |
12.93% | 34.29% | 21.88% |
| 144 |  Liberia's income inequality |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 145 |  Nigeria's income inequality |
12.63% | 45.13% | 13.97% |
| 146 |  Sierra Leone's wealth gap |
12.34% | 47.48% | 13.96% |
| 147 |  Germany |
12.09% | 34.81% | 19.80% |
| 148 |  Equatorial Guinea's income inequality |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 149 |  Latvia |
11.95% | 40.15% | 15.89% |
| 150 | Sweden's wealth gap |
11.88% | 32.64% | 24.20% |
| 151 | Hungary's wealth gap |
11.79% | 33.38% | 24.27% |
| 152 |  France |
11.52% | 34.26% | 20.00% |
| 153 |  income distribution in Greece |
11.43% | 37.47% | 17.37% |
| 154 |  Liechtenstein |
11.33% | 35.23% | 18.44% |
| 155 |  San Marino's income inequality |
11.33% | 35.23% | 18.44% |
| 156 |  Monaco |
11.33% | 35.23% | 18.44% |
| 157 |  Andorra's wealth gap |
11.33% | 35.23% | 18.44% |
| 158 |  Bulgaria |
11.31% | 36.11% | 19.07% |
| 159 |  income distribution in Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 160 | Denmark's income inequality |
11.21% | 30.81% | 24.06% |
| 161 | Finland |
11.01% | 32.13% | 22.77% |
| 162 | Spain |
10.82% | 33.71% | 20.61% |
| 163 |  Portugal's income inequality |
10.41% | 38.79% | 17.79% |
| 164 | Ukraine |
10.26% | 34.45% | 20.92% |
| 165 |  Australia's wealth gap |
10.13% | 33.69% | 17.59% |
| 166 | Iceland |
10.05% | 30.98% | 22.29% |
| 167 | Belarus's wealth gap |
10.05% | 33.68% | 21.14% |
| 168 |  Moldova's income inequality |
9.93% | 36.16% | 16.07% |
| 169 |  income distribution in Lithuania |
9.85% | 36.07% | 17.69% |
| 170 | Slovakia's income inequality |
9.67% | 30.79% | 22.74% |
| 171 |  Montenegro |
9.40% | 33.76% | 18.65% |
| 172 | Austria |
9.37% | 32.05% | 23.03% |
| 173 |  income distribution in Croatia |
9.19% | 33.31% | 19.16% |
| 174 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina's income inequality |
9.08% | 34.17% | 17.93% |
| 175 |  income distribution in Sao Tome and Principe |
9.04% | 39.53% | 17.17% |
| 176 |  income distribution in Kosovo |
8.47% | 34.03% | 17.23% |
| 177 | Belgium's income inequality |
8.44% | 31.97% | 20.23% |
| 178 |  Albania |
8.41% | 33.09% | 18.52% |
| 179 | income distribution in Malta |
8.20% | 30.12% | 22.20% |
| 180 | Italy |
8.15% | 30.66% | 21.59% |
| 181 | Cyprus's wealth gap |
7.83% | 30.52% | 21.45% |
| 182 | Slovenia's wealth gap |
7.47% | 30.27% | 22.32% |
| 183 |  North Macedonia's income inequality |
7.47% | 31.19% | 17.66% |
| 184 | income distribution in Netherlands |
7.18% | 29.72% | 23.18% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.