How much wealth do the top 1% own? 77 countries compared
The richest 1% own 41% of all household wealth worldwide and 34% in the US, from 13% in the Netherlands to 56% in South Africa.
Short answer: worldwide, the richest 1% of adults own about 41% of all household wealth, and the richest 10% own 82%. Inside individual countries the top 1%’s share ranges from 13% in the Netherlands to 56% in South Africa. In the United States it is 34%, in Germany 27%, in France 25% and in the United Kingdom 20%.
The full comparison
The table shows the share of each country’s total household wealth held by its own richest 1% and 10% of adults, and for comparison the share of pre-tax income that goes to the top 1%. Wealth is always more concentrated than income: people can save, invest and inherit, and returns on large fortunes compound over time.
| # | Country | Top 1% own (wealth) | Top 10% own (wealth) | Top 1% get (income) | Top 1% net worth from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 56% | 87% | 22% | $330,000 |
| 2 | Russia | 48% | 75% | 24% | $579,000 |
| 3 | Uruguay | 40% | 76% | 18% | $1.38M |
| 4 | Brazil | 39% | 72% | 23% | $494,000 |
| 5 | Colombia | 39% | 72% | 17% | $318,000 |
| 6 | Mexico | 39% | 72% | 21% | $542,000 |
| 7 | Chile | 39% | 73% | 22% | $636,000 |
| 8 | Peru | 38% | 71% | 24% | $478,000 |
| 9 | India | 37% | 63% | 23% | $99,100 |
| 10 | Estonia | 35% | 69% | 17% | $1.38M |
| 11 | United States | 34% | 69% | 21% | $5.42M |
| 12 | Hungary | 33% | 67% | 12% | $1.15M |
| 13 | Turkey | 32% | 66% | 21% | $477,000 |
| 14 | Switzerland | 31% | 63% | 10% | $7.17M |
| 15 | Uganda | 31% | 65% | 21% | $85,100 |
| 16 | Thailand | 31% | 65% | 19% | $265,000 |
| 17 | Poland | 31% | 63% | 15% | $1.1M |
| 18 | Rwanda | 30% | 65% | 19% | $39,200 |
| 19 | China | 30% | 69% | 16% | $961,000 |
| 20 | Tanzania | 30% | 65% | 18% | $66,500 |
| 21 | Austria | 29% | 62% | 8.9% | $2.77M |
| 22 | Latvia | 29% | 62% | 9.3% | $808,000 |
| 23 | Costa Rica | 28% | 62% | 18% | $855,000 |
| 24 | Canada | 28% | 59% | 12% | $2.65M |
| 25 | Algeria | 28% | 62% | 23% | $304,000 |
| 26 | United Arab Emirates | 28% | 62% | 16% | $2.45M |
| 27 | Taiwan | 28% | 62% | 19% | $2.97M |
| 28 | Ghana | 27% | 62% | 15% | $213,000 |
| 29 | Germany | 27% | 58% | 13% | $3.21M |
| 30 | Egypt | 27% | 62% | 19% | $122,000 |
| 31 | Hong Kong | 27% | 62% | 18% | $3.27M |
| 32 | Morocco | 27% | 61% | 13% | $198,000 |
| 33 | Kenya | 26% | 61% | 14% | $104,000 |
| 34 | Argentina | 26% | 60% | 17% | $556,000 |
| 35 | Iran | 26% | 60% | 16% | $244,000 |
| 36 | Senegal | 25% | 61% | 13% | $74,700 |
| 37 | Philippines | 25% | 60% | 17% | $125,000 |
| 38 | Cyprus | 25% | 65% | 8% | $1.71M |
| 39 | Singapore | 25% | 60% | 14% | $4.44M |
| 40 | Cambodia | 25% | 60% | 18% | $193,000 |
| 41 | South Korea | 25% | 67% | 14% | $2.84M |
| 42 | France | 25% | 58% | 12% | $2.54M |
| 43 | Portugal | 25% | 60% | 10% | $1.94M |
| 44 | Vietnam | 25% | 60% | 16% | $215,000 |
| 45 | Niger | 25% | 60% | 14% | $33,600 |
| 46 | Bulgaria | 25% | 59% | 18% | $462,000 |
| 47 | Nigeria | 25% | 59% | 12% | $52,800 |
| 48 | Côte d’Ivoire | 24% | 60% | 12% | $122,000 |
| 49 | Japan | 24% | 59% | 13% | $2M |
| 50 | Lithuania | 24% | 60% | 9.1% | $982,000 |
| 51 | Romania | 24% | 59% | 14% | $860,000 |
| 52 | Nepal | 24% | 59% | 14% | $57,100 |
| 53 | Bangladesh | 24% | 59% | 16% | $139,000 |
| 54 | Pakistan | 24% | 58% | 17% | $103,000 |
| 55 | Malaysia | 24% | 58% | 13% | $472,000 |
| 56 | Ethiopia | 24% | 58% | 10% | $62,900 |
| 57 | Luxembourg | 23% | 56% | 10% | $3.74M |
| 58 | Spain | 23% | 57% | 12% | $2.26M |
| 59 | Australia | 23% | 57% | 11% | $4.89M |
| 60 | Norway | 23% | 53% | 9.5% | $1.98M |
| 61 | Sweden | 23% | 67% | 9.5% | $3.3M |
| 62 | New Zealand | 23% | 57% | 12% | $3.3M |
| 63 | Croatia | 22% | 57% | 9.6% | $1.13M |
| 64 | Greece | 22% | 60% | 11% | $1.4M |
| 65 | Italy | 22% | 56% | 9.1% | $2.31M |
| 66 | Czechia | 22% | 57% | 10% | $1.29M |
| 67 | Slovenia | 22% | 58% | 8% | $1.32M |
| 68 | Malta | 21% | 55% | 11% | $2M |
| 69 | Ireland | 20% | 66% | 13% | $4.93M |
| 70 | United Kingdom | 20% | 58% | 13% | $3.6M |
| 71 | Denmark | 20% | 50% | 12% | $2.79M |
| 72 | Iceland | 18% | 56% | 8% | $6.18M |
| 73 | Indonesia | 18% | 59% | 18% | $221,000 |
| 74 | Slovakia | 17% | 49% | 7.5% | $853,000 |
| 75 | Finland | 16% | 54% | 9.4% | $1.6M |
| 76 | Belgium | 15% | 52% | 8.7% | $3.76M |
| 77 | Netherlands | 13% | 45% | 7.1% | $2.83M |
| World | 41% | 82% | 24% | $1.31M |
Click a column to sort. US dollars at ECB rates of 2026-10-09; per adult (20+).
“Top 1% net worth from” is the threshold to join the top 1% in that country (all thresholds).
Where wealth is most concentrated
The highest shares are in South Africa (56%), Russia (48%) and much of Latin America: Uruguay 40%, Brazil 39%, Mexico 39%, Chile 39%. In these countries a large share of the population owns little or no net wealth, while land, companies and financial assets are held by a small group. In South Africa the top 10% own 87% of everything.
India (37%) and China (30%) are also at the high end. Both have seen fast growth in private wealth since the 1990s, with much of it going to business owners and urban property holders.
Where it is least concentrated
The lowest shares are in the Netherlands (13%), Belgium (15%), Finland (16%) and Slovakia (17%). Broad home ownership, large pension savings held by ordinary workers and, in Central Europe, the history of post-communist privatisation of housing to sitting tenants spread wealth across the middle of the distribution.
Other rich countries sit in between: Japan 24%, Australia 23%, Norway 23%, Sweden 23%, Italy 22%, Canada 28%.
The United States in context
At 34%, the US top 1% share is the highest among large rich democracies. The Federal Reserve’s Distributional Financial Accounts, which measure households rather than adults and use a different method, put the share at roughly 30%. The two approaches agree on the main point: the richest 1% of Americans own more than the bottom half many times over.
To join the US top 1% you need about $5.42 million (US details). The top 10% starts at $1.19 million and owns 69% of all household wealth.
Why the world is more unequal than almost any country
The world’s top 1% share (41%) is higher than in almost every individual country. Global wealth inequality adds up two gaps: the gap between rich and poor people within each country, and the much larger gap between rich and poor countries. Half of the world’s adults have less than $10,800, while the top 1% starts at $1.31 million. See what it takes to join the global top 1%.
How these shares are measured
The shares come from the WealthPercentile model, built on the World Inequality Database (2026 update), which combines tax data, household surveys, national accounts and rich lists. Surveys tend to miss the very richest households, so WID corrects the top using tax records and wealth rankings. Countries with less direct data are partly imputed; every country page shows a data-quality score. The methodology gives the details.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of wealth do the top 1% own in the US?
About 34% of household wealth on the World Inequality Database measure (per adult), or roughly 30% on the Federal Reserve’s household measure.
What percentage of global wealth do the top 1% own?
About 41%. The top 10% own 82%, which leaves less than a fifth for the remaining 90% of adults.
Which country has the most equal distribution of wealth?
Of the 77 countries we cover, the Netherlands, where the top 1% own 13%. Explore the measures on the world map.