N
The Daily Insight Hub

Is wealth distribution a global issue?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on January 07, 2026

While global income inequality has existed for thousands of years, its shape has continuously changed. In 1975, the distribution of global income was bimodal, which means that the developed world was 10 times wealthier than the developing world. Within the past 40 years, global income inequality has actually decreased.

Which country has the best wealth distribution?

Here are the 10 countries with the highest wealth inequality:

  • Sweden (0.867)
  • United States (0.852)
  • Brazil (0.849)
  • Thailand (0.846)
  • Denmark (0.838)
  • Philippines (0.837)
  • Saudi Arabia (0.834)
  • Indonesia (0.833)

Is the World Inequality Database reliable?

world combines national accounts and survey data with fiscal data sources. This allows us to release inequality estimates that are more reliable – from the bottom to the top of the distribution of income and wealth – and also that span over much longer periods.

Why is unequal distribution of wealth a problem?

Causes for wealth inequality in the United States include differences in income, education, labor market demand and supply, among a variety of others. These cause the wealth gap to increase between upper and lower classes, white Americans and minorities, and men and women.

What is the wealth distribution in the world?

half of the world’s net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world’s total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth.

Who owns most of the world’s wealth?

The 2020 Credit Suisse Global Wealth report makes for stark reading. Released at the end of October, it revealed that the top one percent of households globally own 43 percent of all personal wealth, while the bottom 50 percent own only one percent.

What country has the worst inequality?

South Africa is the most unequal country of the region: in 2019, the income share of top 10% households is estimated at 65%. Inequality levels seem to have changed very little, on average, over the last decades.

What is the most equal country in the world?

According to the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2020, Switzerland was the most gender equal country in the world. The Gender Inequality Index measures reflecting inequality in achievement between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment, and the labor market.

What is the most equal country?

Which country has the lowest levels of inequality in the world?

GINI index (World Bank estimate) – Country Ranking

RankCountryValue
1South Africa63.00
2Namibia59.10
3Suriname57.60
4Zambia57.10