Where Does the Top 0.1% Own More Than the Bottom 80%?
Key Takeaways
- In 27 countries, the wealthiest 0.1% own more than the bottom 80% combined.
- This group includes some of the world’s largest countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, and the United States.
- Sweden stands out as the only EU country where the top 0.1% crosses this threshold.
How concentrated does wealth have to become before the richest 0.1% own more than the bottom 80% of the population combined?
This world map identifies the countries where that threshold has been crossed, using the latest World Inequality Database estimates (2024). The estimates cover personal wealth among adults aged 20 and older in each country.
Where Wealth Is Most Concentrated
The countries shown in red span economies with very different histories and institutions, from the United States and South Africa to India and Sweden.
Even within this group, there is wide variation in the degree of wealth concentration. In South Africa, for example, the bottom 80% hold less than 5% of the country’s wealth. Meanwhile, the richest 0.1% hold nearly 30%, a share exceeded only by Russia among these 27 countries.
The table below ranks the 27 countries by the share of wealth held by their richest 0.1%.
| Rank | Country | Top 0.1% wealth share | Bottom 80% wealth share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 32.21% | 14.59% |
| 2 | South Africa | 29.95% | 4.70% |
| 3 | India | 29.69% | 22.92% |
| 4 | Eswatini | 28.36% | 14.22% |
| 5 | Belize | 22.56% | 19.07% |
| 6 | Mexico | 21.93% | 15.62% |
| 7 | Iraq | 21.87% | 14.88% |
| 8 | Namibia | 21.56% | 15.15% |
| 9 | Chile | 21.52% | 15.61% |
| 10 | Brazil | 21.46% | 15.69% |
| 11 | Lebanon | 21.11% | 20.30% |
| 12 | Zimbabwe | 21.06% | 15.91% |
| 13 | Botswana | 21.05% | 15.60% |
| 14 | Colombia | 21.00% | 15.64% |
| 15 | Yemen | 20.78% | 15.84% |
| 16 | Mozambique | 20.73% | 15.88% |
| 17 | Georgia | 20.68% | 20.66% |
| 18 | Peru | 20.50% | 16.07% |
| 19 | Angola | 20.40% | 16.16% |
| 20 | Bahrain | 20.15% | 16.38% |
| 21 | Qatar | 19.89% | 16.60% |
| 22 | Oman | 19.55% | 16.88% |
| 23 | Zambia | 18.98% | 17.36% |
| 24 | Republic of the Congo | 18.65% | 17.64% |
| 25 | U.S. | 18.38% | 15.82% |
| 26 | Uruguay | 18.30% | 14.38% |
| 27 | Sweden | 13.86% | 10.84% |
Percentages of total wealth do not add up to 100% because the remainder is held by people between the 80th and 99.9th percentiles.
Wealth inequality and income inequality measure different things. Income captures money earned over a period of time, while wealth reflects accumulated assets such as homes, businesses, investments, and savings, minus debts. Inheritance can therefore shape wealth disparities long before differences in annual earnings do.
The Persistence of Wealth Gaps
Owning assets creates opportunities that wages alone do not. A home can appreciate, shares can pay dividends, and a business can generate profits. Reinvesting those returns can build wealth further, while someone without savings must first create room in their budget to begin accumulating assets.
South Africa offers a striking example of how durable these differences can be. One study covering 1993–2017 found no sustained decline in wealth inequality after the end of apartheid. Financial assets dominated the portfolios of the richest 0.1%, while housing and pensions were the main holdings of the bottom 90%.
These findings point to inheritance and relative starting positions as important factors. Accumulating wealth over a lifetime does not necessarily erase advantages established at the beginning, helping explain why wealth gaps can persist across generations.
Why Does Sweden Stand Out?
Countries such as Brazil, Colombia, or India may be less surprising in this context, but Sweden stands apart because of its reputation for relatively low income inequality and a strong social safety net.
However, relatively equal incomes can coexist with concentrated asset ownership. Generous healthcare, childcare, education, and retirement programs mean many lower-income Swedes have less need to accumulate private financial assets to pay for essential services.
Sweden’s tax system also treats income and accumulated wealth differently. The country abolished its gift and inheritance taxes in 2004 and its net wealth tax in 2007.
No other country in the European Union appears in this group. However, that does not necessarily mean other EU countries have broadly equal wealth distributions.
The Top 0.1% in Wealth vs. Bottom 80% For Every Country
The table below lists countries and territories worldwide alongside the shares of wealth held by their top 0.1% and bottom 80%.
| Country/Territory | Top 0.1% wealth share | Bottom 80% wealth share |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 9.45% | 25.72% |
| Albania | 8.70% | 26.63% |
| Algeria | 12.49% | 22.79% |
| Andorra | 8.95% | 26.32% |
| Anguilla | 12.31% | 22.95% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 12.28% | 22.97% |
| Argentina | 11.24% | 24.40% |
| Armenia | 10.76% | 25.47% |
| Aruba | 12.31% | 22.95% |
| Australia | 10.02% | 26.12% |
| Austria | 14.62% | 23.53% |
| Azerbaijan | 9.11% | 26.12% |
| Bahamas | 14.61% | 20.99% |
| Bangladesh | 9.61% | 25.55% |
| Barbados | 13.49% | 22.67% |
| Belarus | 8.47% | 26.96% |
| Belgium | 4.12% | 31.18% |
| Benin | 9.96% | 25.17% |
| Bermuda | 12.02% | 23.21% |
| Bhutan | 9.62% | 25.54% |
| Bolivia | 14.60% | 21.00% |
| Bonaire | 12.24% | 23.01% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8.71% | 26.62% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 8.93% | 26.34% |
| Bulgaria | 11.02% | 24.75% |
| Burkina Faso | 11.17% | 23.98% |
| Burundi | 11.03% | 24.11% |
| Cabo Verde | 12.38% | 22.88% |
| Cambodia | 10.56% | 24.56% |
| Cameroon | 11.22% | 23.93% |
| Canada | 14.81% | 30.63% |
| Cayman Islands | 12.33% | 22.93% |
| Central African Republic | 13.19% | 22.19% |
| Chad | 10.75% | 24.37% |
| China | 17.08% | 21.17% |
| Comoros | 13.19% | 22.18% |
| Costa Rica | 13.08% | 22.28% |
| Croatia | 8.90% | 26.56% |
| Cuba | 10.66% | 24.47% |
| Curacao | 12.33% | 22.93% |
| Cyprus | 12.34% | 20.86% |
| Czech Republic | 13.68% | 25.60% |
| Côte d’Ivoire | 10.09% | 25.03% |
| DR Congo | 15.45% | 20.29% |
| Denmark | 10.60% | 29.37% |
| Djibouti | 12.82% | 22.50% |
| Dominica | 12.29% | 22.96% |
| Dominican Republic | 10.34% | 24.78% |
| Ecuador | 10.47% | 24.65% |
| Egypt | 13.95% | 22.93% |
| El Salvador | 10.18% | 24.94% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 10.37% | 24.75% |
| Eritrea | 9.43% | 25.74% |
| Estonia | 14.56% | 18.76% |
| Ethiopia | 9.44% | 25.74% |
| Micronesia | 12.09% | 23.14% |
| Fiji | 11.98% | 23.24% |
| Finland | 6.11% | 26.07% |
| France | 13.34% | 25.43% |
| French Polynesia | 12.01% | 23.21% |
| Gabon | 9.93% | 25.20% |
| Gambia | 11.38% | 23.78% |
| Germany | 13.35% | 25.46% |
| Ghana | 12.20% | 23.04% |
| Gibraltar | 8.95% | 26.31% |
| Greece | 8.26% | 22.29% |
| Greenland | 12.06% | 23.17% |
| Grenada | 12.35% | 22.91% |
| Guatemala | 14.57% | 21.02% |
| Guernsey | 8.95% | 26.31% |
| Guinea | 9.16% | 26.05% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 9.60% | 25.55% |
| Guyana | 14.58% | 21.01% |
| Haiti | 14.56% | 21.03% |
| Honduras | 14.59% | 21.00% |
| Hong Kong | 20.03% | 21.24% |
| Hungary | 16.85% | 20.42% |
| Iceland | 6.98% | 23.44% |
| Indonesia | 8.32% | 22.24% |
| Iran | 10.83% | 24.30% |
| Ireland | 7.73% | 16.05% |
| Isle of Man | 8.95% | 26.32% |
| Israel | 16.07% | 21.90% |
| Italy | 9.20% | 26.06% |
| Jamaica | 14.58% | 21.01% |
| Japan | 10.20% | 25.04% |
| Jersey | 8.95% | 26.31% |
| Jordan | 12.45% | 22.82% |
| Kazakhstan | 13.14% | 24.65% |
| Kenya | 11.06% | 24.08% |
| Kiribati | 11.97% | 23.25% |
| Kosovo | 8.61% | 26.75% |
| Kuwait | 10.18% | 24.94% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 9.80% | 25.34% |
| Laos | 11.44% | 23.73% |
| Latvia | 12.39% | 25.98% |
| Lesotho | 12.75% | 22.56% |
| Liberia | 9.89% | 25.25% |
| Libya | 11.02% | 24.12% |
| Liechtenstein | 10.31% | 25.92% |
| Lithuania | 9.96% | 25.17% |
| Luxembourg | 17.18% | 26.98% |
| Macao | 9.62% | 25.53% |
| Madagascar | 10.93% | 24.21% |
| Malawi | 11.59% | 23.59% |
| Malaysia | 14.05% | 24.81% |
| Maldives | 9.33% | 25.86% |
| Mali | 10.23% | 24.89% |
| Malta | 4.66% | 32.44% |
| Marshall Islands | 11.97% | 23.25% |
| Mauritania | 9.40% | 25.78% |
| Mauritius | 11.10% | 24.05% |
| Moldova | 9.18% | 26.04% |
| Monaco | 17.49% | 23.85% |
| Mongolia | 9.79% | 25.35% |
| Montenegro | 8.82% | 26.49% |
| Montserrat | 12.32% | 22.93% |
| Morocco | 11.64% | 23.64% |
| Myanmar | 9.76% | 25.38% |
| Nauru | 12.05% | 23.17% |
| Nepal | 10.39% | 25.40% |
| Netherlands | 4.44% | 36.66% |
| New Caledonia | 12.05% | 23.18% |
| New Zealand | 8.92% | 26.53% |
| Nicaragua | 14.55% | 21.04% |
| Niger | 10.27% | 24.85% |
| Nigeria | 14.49% | 24.11% |
| North Korea | 9.90% | 25.24% |
| North Macedonia | 8.40% | 27.06% |
| Norway | 12.28% | 30.13% |
| Pakistan | 9.68% | 25.47% |
| Palau | 12.07% | 23.16% |
| Palestine | 14.01% | 21.49% |
| Panama | 14.55% | 21.03% |
| Papua New Guinea | 10.79% | 24.34% |
| Paraguay | 14.58% | 21.01% |
| Philippines | 13.11% | 24.04% |
| Poland | 15.17% | 22.90% |
| Portugal | 9.40% | 24.09% |
| Puerto Rico | 12.30% | 22.96% |
| Romania | 10.07% | 25.44% |
| Rwanda | 14.24% | 21.30% |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 20.56% | 20.77% |
| Saint Lucia | 12.35% | 22.91% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 12.22% | 23.02% |
| Samoa | 12.08% | 23.15% |
| San Marino | 8.95% | 26.31% |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 13.28% | 22.11% |
| Saudi Arabia | 14.13% | 21.39% |
| Senegal | 10.47% | 24.65% |
| Serbia | 9.49% | 25.68% |
| Seychelles | 9.27% | 25.93% |
| Sierra Leone | 10.97% | 24.17% |
| Singapore | 14.29% | 23.53% |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 12.24% | 23.01% |
| Slovakia | 5.04% | 33.89% |
| Slovenia | 12.24% | 27.47% |
| Solomon Islands | 12.00% | 23.22% |
| Somalia | 11.51% | 23.66% |
| South Korea | 6.63% | 14.97% |
| South Sudan | 13.04% | 22.31% |
| Spain | 10.17% | 27.79% |
| Sri Lanka | 11.73% | 23.46% |
| Sudan | 10.25% | 24.87% |
| Suriname | 14.59% | 21.00% |
| Switzerland | 16.38% | 22.21% |
| Syria | 17.24% | 18.81% |
| Taiwan | 12.92% | 23.13% |
| Tajikistan | 9.65% | 25.50% |
| Tanzania | 14.09% | 21.64% |
| Thailand | 17.90% | 20.22% |
| Timor-Leste | 9.48% | 25.69% |
| Togo | 10.85% | 24.28% |
| Tonga | 12.03% | 23.20% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 14.56% | 21.03% |
| Tunisia | 14.75% | 20.87% |
| Turkmenistan | 11.91% | 23.30% |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 12.30% | 22.95% |
| Tuvalu | 12.06% | 23.17% |
| Türkiye | 15.40% | 20.33% |
| Uganda | 14.79% | 20.84% |
| Ukraine | 9.78% | 26.55% |
| United Arab Emirates | 12.77% | 22.75% |
| United Kingdom | 6.92% | 25.73% |
| Uzbekistan | 10.43% | 24.69% |
| Vanuatu | 12.01% | 23.21% |
| Venezuela | 15.97% | 20.67% |
| Viet Nam | 10.62% | 24.95% |
| Virgin Islands, British | 12.25% | 23.00% |
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To see how inequality in Europe is changing, check out The Euro Area Saw a Slight Decrease in Inequality Over Past 5 Years on Voronoi.