In 2006, 184 countries reported income inequality data. The highest top 1% income concentration was in Peru at 35.81%. The global average top 1% income share was 17.01%.
Countries With the Highest Income Inequality in 2006
The following table ranks countries by their top 1% income share in 2006, showing where wealth concentration is most pronounced.
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peru's wealth gap |
35.81% | 60.03% | 7.90% |
| 2 |  Chile's wealth gap |
35.00% | 64.55% | 7.20% |
| 3 |  Central African Republic |
29.88% | 64.83% | 7.39% |
| 4 |  income distribution in Yemen |
29.81% | 61.30% | 9.16% |
| 5 |  Brazil's wealth gap |
28.90% | 60.39% | 9.32% |
| 6 |  income distribution in Cambodia |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 7 |  Botswana |
26.67% | 65.60% | 6.62% |
| 8 |  Namibia's income inequality |
26.59% | 70.38% | 5.80% |
| 9 |  income distribution in Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 10 |  income distribution in Rwanda |
26.37% | 62.09% | 9.31% |
| 11 |  Maldives's income inequality |
26.34% | 51.62% | 12.64% |
| 12 |  Comoros |
26.14% | 63.62% | 8.46% |
| 13 |  income distribution in Colombia |
25.65% | 61.30% | 7.59% |
| 14 |  Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 15 |  income distribution in Mozambique |
24.17% | 56.66% | 11.05% |
| 16 |  Guyana's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 17 |  Haiti's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 18 |  income distribution in Venezuela |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 19 |  Trinidad and Tobago's income inequality |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 20 |  Paraguay |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
Countries With the Most Equal Income Distribution in 2006
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 |  New Zealand's wealth gap |
10.05% | 31.77% | 24.12% |
| 2 |  Denmark |
11.69% | 31.23% | 23.86% |
| 3 |  Sweden |
13.05% | 33.78% | 23.82% |
| 4 |  Norway's income inequality |
13.35% | 33.53% | 23.59% |
| 5 |  Hungary's income inequality |
12.62% | 34.69% | 23.05% |
| 6 |  Netherlands |
7.09% | 29.63% | 22.79% |
| 7 |  Austria's wealth gap |
9.94% | 32.84% | 22.65% |
| 8 |  income distribution in Slovakia |
9.78% | 31.16% | 22.63% |
| 9 |  income distribution in Finland |
11.81% | 33.36% | 22.22% |
| 10 |  Slovenia |
7.79% | 30.31% | 22.19% |
| 11 |  Malta's wealth gap |
8.16% | 30.14% | 22.11% |
| 12 |  Iceland's wealth gap |
10.55% | 31.98% | 21.86% |
| 13 |  Switzerland |
13.42% | 35.02% | 21.78% |
| 14 |  Italy's income inequality |
8.27% | 30.86% | 21.68% |
| 15 |  Belarus |
10.25% | 33.85% | 21.14% |
| 16 |  Cyprus's income inequality |
9.55% | 32.26% | 20.84% |
| 17 |  Spain's income inequality |
11.30% | 34.68% | 20.59% |
| 18 |  Ukraine's income inequality |
11.87% | 36.01% | 20.38% |
| 19 |  France |
11.17% | 34.03% | 20.21% |
| 20 |  Belgium's wealth gap |
8.71% | 32.41% | 20.17% |
Global Income Inequality Overview for 2006
- Countries with data: 184
- Average top 1% income share: 17.01%
- Average bottom 50% income share: 14.21%
- Highest top 1% share: Peru (35.81%)
- Lowest top 1% share: Netherlands (7.09%)
Complete Country Rankings for 2006
| # | Country | Top 1% | Top 10% | Bottom 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peru's income inequality |
35.81% | 60.03% | 7.90% |
| 2 | Chile |
35.00% | 64.55% | 7.20% |
| 3 | Central African Republic's income inequality |
29.88% | 64.83% | 7.39% |
| 4 | Yemen |
29.81% | 61.30% | 9.16% |
| 5 | Brazil's income inequality |
28.90% | 60.39% | 9.32% |
| 6 | Cambodia's wealth gap |
26.79% | 55.74% | 8.78% |
| 7 | income distribution in Botswana |
26.67% | 65.60% | 6.62% |
| 8 | Namibia's income inequality |
26.59% | 70.38% | 5.80% |
| 9 | Myanmar |
26.49% | 51.12% | 12.71% |
| 10 | income distribution in Rwanda |
26.37% | 62.09% | 9.31% |
| 11 | Maldives |
26.34% | 51.62% | 12.64% |
| 12 | Comoros |
26.14% | 63.62% | 8.46% |
| 13 | Colombia's income inequality |
25.65% | 61.30% | 7.59% |
| 14 | income distribution in Iraq |
24.41% | 55.33% | 11.83% |
| 15 | Mozambique's wealth gap |
24.17% | 56.66% | 11.05% |
| 16 | Guyana |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 17 | Haiti's income inequality |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 18 | income distribution in Venezuela |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 19 | Trinidad and Tobago |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 20 | Paraguay's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 21 |  Bahamas's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 22 |  Guatemala |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 23 |  income distribution in Bolivia |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 24 |  income distribution in Panama |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 25 |  income distribution in Nicaragua |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 26 |  income distribution in Belize |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 27 |  Jamaica's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 28 |  Suriname's income inequality |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 29 |  Honduras's wealth gap |
23.23% | 55.16% | 9.04% |
| 30 |  income distribution in Saudi Arabia |
23.16% | 52.05% | 10.65% |
| 31 |  Qatar's income inequality |
22.95% | 55.46% | 9.50% |
| 32 |  income distribution in Dominican Republic |
22.79% | 54.43% | 8.36% |
| 33 |  Thailand |
22.59% | 54.52% | 10.64% |
| 34 |  Bahrain's wealth gap |
22.29% | 57.45% | 10.27% |
| 35 |  Hong Kong's wealth gap |
21.68% | 49.72% | 12.89% |
| 36 |  Dominica's wealth gap |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 37 |  Antigua and Barbuda's wealth gap |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 38 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 39 |  Saint Lucia's wealth gap |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 40 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis's income inequality |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 41 |  Grenada's income inequality |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 42 |  income distribution in Barbados |
21.64% | 54.03% | 8.46% |
| 43 |  Zambia |
21.60% | 60.74% | 7.84% |
| 44 |  income distribution in Sri Lanka |
21.28% | 49.68% | 13.07% |
| 45 |  Tunisia's income inequality |
21.13% | 56.77% | 11.35% |
| 46 |  Kuwait |
21.10% | 54.68% | 11.06% |
| 47 |  Palestine |
21.02% | 55.54% | 10.57% |
| 48 |  Gambia's income inequality |
20.94% | 54.23% | 11.06% |
| 49 |  Jordan's income inequality |
20.85% | 51.96% | 12.94% |
| 50 |  Kenya |
20.84% | 54.47% | 11.09% |
| 51 |  Seychelles's wealth gap |
20.61% | 52.09% | 12.13% |
| 52 |  income distribution in Uruguay |
20.43% | 49.31% | 12.96% |
| 53 |  Lebanon's income inequality |
20.35% | 50.76% | 12.21% |
| 54 |  income distribution in Costa Rica |
20.15% | 51.77% | 9.71% |
| 55 |  India's income inequality |
20.10% | 47.82% | 16.07% |
| 56 |  Malawi's income inequality |
20.09% | 52.76% | 12.52% |
| 57 |  Niger |
20.06% | 52.42% | 12.90% |
| 58 |  income distribution in Oman |
19.93% | 56.27% | 9.06% |
| 59 |  income distribution in Israel |
19.71% | 52.09% | 11.70% |
| 60 |  income distribution in Egypt |
19.64% | 50.49% | 14.83% |
| 61 |  Iran's income inequality |
19.38% | 52.90% | 12.15% |
| 62 |  income distribution in South Africa |
19.34% | 60.07% | 9.37% |
| 63 |  Ecuador's wealth gap |
19.09% | 48.61% | 10.98% |
| 64 |  Turkmenistan |
18.91% | 48.41% | 12.61% |
| 65 |  Congo |
18.90% | 54.77% | 10.31% |
| 66 |  United Arab Emirates's income inequality |
18.70% | 56.88% | 9.34% |
| 67 |  income distribution in Madagascar |
18.59% | 50.94% | 13.20% |
| 68 |  Georgia's wealth gap |
18.20% | 45.05% | 14.31% |
| 69 |  Uganda's wealth gap |
18.13% | 53.10% | 12.00% |
| 70 |  Pakistan's income inequality |
18.09% | 45.47% | 15.69% |
| 71 |  Somalia |
17.98% | 50.37% | 13.45% |
| 72 |  Philippines's income inequality |
17.96% | 48.88% | 12.18% |
| 73 |  Malaysia |
17.72% | 45.93% | 14.05% |
| 74 |  Turkey's income inequality |
17.56% | 49.85% | 14.85% |
| 75 |  Azerbaijan |
17.53% | 42.92% | 16.14% |
| 76 |  income distribution in Kyrgyzstan |
17.50% | 45.17% | 14.88% |
| 77 |  El Salvador |
17.48% | 49.79% | 8.40% |
| 78 |  income distribution in Lesotho |
17.44% | 53.68% | 9.68% |
| 79 |  income distribution in Taiwan |
17.22% | 46.14% | 10.24% |
| 80 |  Mongolia's income inequality |
17.21% | 45.17% | 13.34% |
| 81 |  income distribution in Burkina Faso |
17.03% | 50.67% | 12.65% |
| 82 |  Angola's income inequality |
16.99% | 51.51% | 11.46% |
| 83 |  income distribution in Cuba |
16.95% | 47.49% | 11.85% |
| 84 |  income distribution in Papua New Guinea |
16.88% | 47.39% | 12.33% |
| 85 |  Bangladesh's wealth gap |
16.76% | 45.13% | 15.28% |
| 86 |  Gabon |
16.63% | 50.16% | 12.67% |
| 87 |  income distribution in Kazakhstan |
16.59% | 42.57% | 16.05% |
| 88 |  income distribution in Uzbekistan |
16.58% | 45.47% | 14.67% |
| 89 |  Tajikistan |
16.42% | 41.95% | 16.46% |
| 90 |  Cameroon |
16.25% | 50.57% | 12.01% |
| 91 |  income distribution in Afghanistan |
16.22% | 41.94% | 17.17% |
| 92 |  Djibouti's wealth gap |
16.12% | 49.41% | 12.86% |
| 93 |  Benin |
15.97% | 49.98% | 13.13% |
| 94 |  Bhutan's income inequality |
15.97% | 45.84% | 13.62% |
| 95 |  Zimbabwe's wealth gap |
15.93% | 51.37% | 11.88% |
| 96 |  Mexico's income inequality |
15.84% | 58.69% | 6.12% |
| 97 |  income distribution in Libya |
15.78% | 47.03% | 15.03% |
| 98 |  Algeria's income inequality |
15.72% | 46.60% | 15.08% |
| 99 |  income distribution in Guinea-Bissau |
15.66% | 52.54% | 12.43% |
| 100 |  income distribution in Tanzania |
15.63% | 48.91% | 13.52% |
| 101 |  income distribution in Ghana |
15.63% | 49.63% | 12.45% |
| 102 |  Luxembourg |
15.52% | 39.12% | 19.41% |
| 103 |  Estonia |
15.52% | 40.85% | 15.80% |
| 104 |  Indonesia |
15.40% | 41.77% | 16.55% |
| 105 |  Nepal's wealth gap |
15.39% | 43.21% | 15.74% |
| 106 |  Ethiopia's wealth gap |
15.06% | 43.59% | 17.17% |
| 107 |  Eritrea |
15.06% | 43.59% | 17.17% |
| 108 |  Samoa's income inequality |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 109 |  Tuvalu |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 110 |  Nauru's income inequality |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 111 |  income distribution in Palau |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 112 |  Kiribati's wealth gap |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 113 |  Marshall Islands's wealth gap |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 114 |  Solomon Islands |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 115 |  Fiji's wealth gap |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 116 |  Vanuatu's income inequality |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 117 |  Tonga |
14.98% | 44.04% | 18.17% |
| 118 |  income distribution in Chad |
14.95% | 48.33% | 12.93% |
| 119 |  income distribution in China |
14.91% | 42.48% | 14.16% |
| 120 |  Macao's wealth gap |
14.87% | 42.37% | 14.41% |
| 121 |  North Korea |
14.87% | 43.22% | 14.93% |
| 122 |  Romania's income inequality |
14.72% | 41.36% | 16.35% |
| 123 |  United Kingdom's income inequality |
14.67% | 38.73% | 17.99% |
| 124 |  Singapore |
14.45% | 42.96% | 18.04% |
| 125 |  Poland's income inequality |
14.25% | 37.05% | 19.77% |
| 126 |  Guinea |
14.25% | 47.65% | 13.40% |
| 127 |  Canada's wealth gap |
14.21% | 38.38% | 16.75% |
| 128 |  South Sudan's wealth gap |
14.21% | 49.39% | 10.97% |
| 129 |  Togo's income inequality |
14.06% | 49.59% | 12.35% |
| 130 |  Mauritius |
13.75% | 45.78% | 15.20% |
| 131 |  Serbia's wealth gap |
13.64% | 38.72% | 14.66% |
| 132 |  Japan's wealth gap |
13.55% | 44.62% | 16.33% |
| 133 |  Mauritania's income inequality |
13.51% | 46.04% | 14.30% |
| 134 |  Ireland |
13.51% | 37.49% | 19.57% |
| 135 |  Senegal's income inequality |
13.45% | 46.93% | 13.69% |
| 136 |  Morocco |
13.43% | 48.20% | 14.39% |
| 137 | Switzerland |
13.42% | 35.02% | 21.78% |
| 138 | Norway's income inequality |
13.35% | 33.53% | 23.59% |
| 139 |  Armenia's wealth gap |
13.15% | 37.77% | 19.32% |
| 140 | Sweden's wealth gap |
13.05% | 33.78% | 23.82% |
| 141 |  Burundi's income inequality |
12.87% | 45.15% | 15.72% |
| 142 |  Mali's wealth gap |
12.83% | 46.90% | 14.01% |
| 143 |  income distribution in Liberia |
12.70% | 44.69% | 15.39% |
| 144 |  Germany |
12.69% | 35.31% | 19.72% |
| 145 | Hungary |
12.62% | 34.69% | 23.05% |
| 146 |  Nigeria's wealth gap |
12.16% | 44.58% | 14.21% |
| 147 |  income distribution in Sierra Leone |
12.07% | 46.73% | 14.29% |
| 148 |  Equatorial Guinea's income inequality |
12.01% | 45.33% | 13.94% |
| 149 |  Andorra's income inequality |
12.00% | 35.96% | 18.20% |
| 150 |  Monaco's income inequality |
12.00% | 35.96% | 18.20% |
| 151 |  San Marino |
12.00% | 35.96% | 18.20% |
| 152 |  Liechtenstein's income inequality |
12.00% | 35.96% | 18.20% |
| 153 | Ukraine |
11.87% | 36.01% | 20.38% |
| 154 | income distribution in Finland |
11.81% | 33.36% | 22.22% |
| 155 | Denmark |
11.69% | 31.23% | 23.86% |
| 156 |  Bulgaria |
11.51% | 35.63% | 18.35% |
| 157 |  Greece's income inequality |
11.37% | 36.64% | 18.00% |
| 158 |  Argentina |
11.33% | 44.55% | 11.62% |
| 159 |  Sudan |
11.30% | 42.51% | 15.54% |
| 160 | Spain |
11.30% | 34.68% | 20.59% |
| 161 | income distribution in France |
11.17% | 34.03% | 20.21% |
| 162 | Iceland's wealth gap |
10.55% | 31.98% | 21.86% |
| 163 |  Portugal's income inequality |
10.52% | 39.62% | 17.25% |
| 164 | Belarus's wealth gap |
10.25% | 33.85% | 21.14% |
| 165 |  Moldova |
10.15% | 36.31% | 15.92% |
| 166 | New Zealand's wealth gap |
10.05% | 31.77% | 24.12% |
| 167 |  Australia's wealth gap |
10.00% | 33.83% | 17.58% |
| 168 | income distribution in Austria |
9.94% | 32.84% | 22.65% |
| 169 |  Latvia's wealth gap |
9.81% | 35.95% | 16.79% |
| 170 | Slovakia's income inequality |
9.78% | 31.16% | 22.63% |
| 171 | Cyprus's wealth gap |
9.55% | 32.26% | 20.84% |
| 172 |  Croatia |
9.54% | 33.44% | 19.45% |
| 173 |  Sao Tome and Principe's income inequality |
9.02% | 39.50% | 17.23% |
| 174 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina's income inequality |
8.85% | 33.96% | 18.06% |
| 175 |  Lithuania |
8.84% | 33.97% | 18.61% |
| 176 |  Montenegro's wealth gap |
8.78% | 34.91% | 17.98% |
| 177 | Belgium's income inequality |
8.71% | 32.41% | 20.17% |
| 178 |  Kosovo's wealth gap |
8.46% | 33.57% | 17.52% |
| 179 |  Albania's income inequality |
8.32% | 32.89% | 18.55% |
| 180 | Italy |
8.27% | 30.86% | 21.68% |
| 181 | Malta's wealth gap |
8.16% | 30.14% | 22.11% |
| 182 | Slovenia's income inequality |
7.79% | 30.31% | 22.19% |
| 183 |  North Macedonia's wealth gap |
7.44% | 31.57% | 17.65% |
| 184 | income distribution in Netherlands |
7.09% | 29.63% | 22.79% |
Last updated: April 8, 2026
Data source: World Inequality Database (WID). This dataset covers income distribution metrics for 199 countries from 1980 to 2024.