TOP 10 Countries by Income Share of the Top 1% (Latest Data)

by admin November 17, 2025 2180 12 min read

Income Inequality • Distribution

The share of national pre-tax income received by the richest 1% of adults varies dramatically across countries. Using the World Inequality Database (WID) series as processed by Our World in Data, this table ranks the ten countries where top incomes capture the largest fraction of total income.

Metric. Income share of the richest 1% of adults, before taxes and cash transfers, but after the operation of public and private pension schemes. Values are the latest available observations (mostly around 2022–2023) in the WID.world series, rounded to one decimal place.

What this ranking shows

The indicator answers a simple question: “Out of all income generated in the country this year, what fraction went to just 1% of adults at the top?” In several economies on this list, more than a quarter of national income accrues to this very small group.

High top-1% shares typically reflect a combination of:

very large labor incomes at the top (executives, professionals),
concentrated capital income (profits, dividends, rents), and
limited redistribution through taxes and transfers.

Data and comparability

WID estimates are constructed by combining household surveys, tax records and national accounts. This improves coverage of top incomes, which are often understated in surveys.

For some countries, early years are imputed using regional patterns; the latest observations however reflect the best available national data. For precise values, users should consult the original WID and OWID downloads.

Table 1 — Income share of the richest 1% (latest year, %)

Top 1% • Before tax

Rank	Country	Top 1% share (%)
1	Maldives	35.6
2	Mozambique	31.1
3	Central African Republic	31.0
4	Mexico	26.8
5	Cambodia	26.8
6	Myanmar	26.5
7	Angola	26.0
8	Peru	25.2
9	Bahrain	24.3
10	Yemen	24.2

How much has the top 1% share grown since 1990?

For the same ten countries, the table below compares the income share of the richest 1% around 1990 with the latest observation. Many series show sizeable increases of 3–6 percentage points, meaning that the very top has captured a growing slice of national income.

Table 2 — Income share of the richest 1%, 1990 vs latest (percentage of national income)

1990 → latest

Country	1990 share (%)	Latest share (%)	Change (p.p.)
Maldives	30.0	35.6	+5.6
Mozambique	26.0	31.1	+5.1
Central African Republic	26.5	31.0	+4.5
Mexico	22.0	26.8	+4.8
Cambodia	22.5	26.8	+4.3
Myanmar	22.0	26.5	+4.5
Angola	22.5	26.0	+3.5
Peru	21.0	25.2	+4.2
Bahrain	20.5	24.3	+3.8
Yemen	21.5	24.2	+2.7

Note. “1990” refers to the closest available year in the early 1990s in WID (or earliest observation where 1990 is missing). Figures are indicative and rounded; users should rely on the original WID.world series for exact values and confidence intervals.

Visualizing top-1% income concentration

The first chart contrasts the income share of the top 1% vs the bottom 50% in two countries with very different inequality profiles (Mexico and Norway). The second chart plots the latest top-1% share for the ten most unequal countries in the WID series.

Income share of the top 1% vs bottom 50% — Mexico vs Norway

Stylized path based on WID.world series (before tax). Mexico shows a rising top-1% share and declining bottom-50% share; Norway illustrates a more egalitarian distribution with modest top-income concentration.

Latest income share of the richest 1% — TOP 10 countries

Share of national pre-tax income going to the richest 1% of adults. Values are the most recent WID observations, harmonized through Our World in Data and rounded to one decimal place.

Primary data sources (clickable)

All numbers and rankings in this section are derived from the World Inequality Database, using the series “Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)”, with processing and visualization via Our World in Data.

World Inequality Database (WID.world) — main portal: https://wid.world
Our World in Data — data page “Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)” (WID, before tax indicator): https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/income-share-top-1-before-tax-wid
Our World in Data — data insight “How much of national income goes to the richest 1%?”: https://ourworldindata.org/data-insights/how-much-of-national-income-goes-to-the-richest1
WID.world technical note on regional income imputations (World Inequality Lab Technical Note 2021/15): https://wid.world/document/countries-with-regional-income-imputations-on-wid-world-world-inequality-lab-technical-note-2021-15/
Our World in Data — general documentation of data pipeline and processing: https://docs.owid.io

Exact country-level values and historical series should always be taken from the original downloads on WID.world (or via the OWID data export), especially for academic or policy analysis.