Inequality shows up differently across income, wealth, and opportunity. Looking across countries, pay attention to disposable-income gaps, how top wealth shares concentrate, and where poverty and low work intensity remain high. The pattern also includes gender and racial disparities in earnings and employment, and how taxes, transfers, and labor-market barriers can narrow or widen gaps.
Key Takeaways
- 0.40 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for South Africa (latest year shown in the dataset)
- 0.34 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Brazil (latest year shown in the dataset)
- 0.35 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Mexico (latest year shown in the dataset)
- In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in France was 20% (World Inequality Database country profile for France shows top 1% wealth share)
- In 2023, the share of U.S. households with no retirement savings was 28% (Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) data release summary)
- In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in India was 29% (World Inequality Database country profile for India shows top 1% wealth share)
- In 2022, 51% of global poverty ($2.15/day) was concentrated in five countries (World Bank poverty estimates summary by country concentration for latest poverty year)
- In 2020, 11.4% of the U.S. population were below the Census poverty threshold (U.S. Census Bureau poverty report, latest year shown in the series)
- In 2022, 6.6% of U.S. households were food insecure without enough consistent access (USDA ERS breakdown in key statistics graphics)
- In 2022, the U.K. Gini index for disposable income was 0.34 after taxes and transfers (OECD income distribution dataset / OECD inequality and poverty dashboard)
- The median gender pay gap in the European Union was 5.3% in 2023 (Eurostat gender pay gap, latest available)
- In 2022, the gender unemployment rate gap between men and women in the EU was 1.0 percentage point (Eurostat labour market indicators, latest available)
- In 2024, 46.8% of Black workers in the U.S. were in lower-wage jobs (EPI / analysis using occupational and wage data published in EPI’s wage inequality brief)
- Net inequality (Gini after taxes and transfers minus Gini before taxes and transfers) reduces income inequality by 21% in the EU on average (OECD measure of redistributive impact from “Gini before/after taxes”).
- 23.6% of total wealth is held by the top 1% in Canada in 2022 (World Inequality Database country profile for Canada, top 1% wealth share series).
Income inequality remains high globally, with the top 1 percent holding roughly a quarter to a third of wealth in many countries.
Related reading
01 · Category
Income Inequality9 stats
01
0.40 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for South Africa (latest year shown in the dataset)
02
0.34 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Brazil (latest year shown in the dataset)
03
0.35 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Mexico (latest year shown in the dataset)
04
0.50 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Namibia (latest year shown in the dataset)
05
0.29 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Denmark (latest year shown in the dataset)
06
0.43 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for the United States (latest year shown in the dataset)
07
The top 1% received 20% of pre-tax national income in the United Kingdom (World Inequality Database / inequality share figures as shown by WID for UK)
08
The bottom 50% received 13% of pre-tax national income in the United States (World Inequality Database / WID country profile for US shows the bottom 50% share)
09
5.2x gap between the top 10% and bottom 10% incomes in Germany (ratio of equivalised disposable income, latest OECD year in dashboard).
Interpretation
Income Inequality Interpretation
Across these countries, income inequality is notably higher in Namibia with a Gini coefficient of 0.50 and the United States at 0.43, while Denmark stands out for relatively lower income inequality at 0.29, highlighting a wide gap in income distribution within the “Income Inequality” category.
02 · Category
Wealth Inequality6 stats
01
In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in France was 20% (World Inequality Database country profile for France shows top 1% wealth share)
02
In 2023, the share of U.S. households with no retirement savings was 28% (Federal Reserve Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) data release summary)
03
In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in India was 29% (World Inequality Database country profile for India shows top 1% wealth share)
04
In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in China was 26% (World Inequality Database country profile for China shows top 1% wealth share)
05
In 2022, the top 1% wealth share in South Africa was 13% (World Inequality Database country profile for South Africa shows top 1% wealth share)
06
In 2022, the richest 10% in the EU owned 60% of total wealth (ECB Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) inequality distribution results summary)
Interpretation
Wealth Inequality Interpretation
Across these Wealth Inequality indicators, the top of the distribution holds a strikingly large share of total wealth, ranging from about 13% for the top 1% in South Africa to roughly 29% in India, while in the EU the richest 10% own 60% of all wealth.
03 · Category
Labor & Segregation5 stats
01
The median gender pay gap in the European Union was 5.3% in 2023 (Eurostat gender pay gap, latest available)
02
In 2022, the gender unemployment rate gap between men and women in the EU was 1.0 percentage point (Eurostat labour market indicators, latest available)
03
In 2024, 46.8% of Black workers in the U.S. were in lower-wage jobs (EPI / analysis using occupational and wage data published in EPI’s wage inequality brief)
04
In 2023, the U.S. CEO pay ratio median was 260:1 (Economic Policy Institute summary of pay ratio data trends reported for the US)
05
In 2023, real wages in the U.S. for production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 1.0% year-over-year while CPI rose 4.1% (BLS real earnings and CPI series comparison)
Interpretation
Labor & Segregation Interpretation
In the Labor and Segregation lens, persistent pay and wage inequality is evident with the EU’s gender pay gap at 5.3% in 2023 and the US showing that 46.8% of Black workers are in lower wage jobs alongside a 260 to 1 median CEO pay ratio in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Poverty & Deprivation4 stats
01
In 2022, 51% of global poverty ($2.15/day) was concentrated in five countries (World Bank poverty estimates summary by country concentration for latest poverty year)
02
In 2020, 11.4% of the U.S. population were below the Census poverty threshold (U.S. Census Bureau poverty report, latest year shown in the series)
03
In 2022, 6.6% of U.S. households were food insecure without enough consistent access (USDA ERS breakdown in key statistics graphics)
04
In 2022, 19.3% of the world’s population lived on less than $3.65 a day (World Bank poverty estimates at $3.65/day)
Interpretation
Poverty & Deprivation Interpretation
Across the Poverty and Deprivation category, the data show that extreme poverty remains concentrated and persistent, with 51% of global poverty at $2.15 a day in 2022 living in just five countries and 19.3% of the world’s population in 2022 still subsisting on less than $3.65 a day.
05 · Category
Poverty & Living Standards4 stats
01
9.0% of the population in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2023 (Eurostat Europe 2020 poverty indicator).
02
22.5% of the population in the EU were at risk of poverty after social transfers in 2023 (Eurostat table on at-risk-of-poverty rate).
03
29.9% of working-age adults in the EU were living in households with very low work intensity in 2023 (Eurostat low work intensity indicator).
04
14.1% of the population in the EU reported unmet medical needs in 2023 due to cost or distance (Eurostat indicator “Unmet need for medical examination”).
Interpretation
Poverty & Living Standards Interpretation
In 2023, poverty and living standards pressures in the EU were broad, with 22.5% of people at risk of poverty after social transfers and 29.9% of working age adults in households with very low work intensity, while 14.1% reported unmet medical needs due to cost or distance.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
23.6% of total wealth is held by the top 1% in Canada in 2022 (World Inequality Database country profile for Canada, top 1% wealth share series).
02
10% of households own 58.7% of total net wealth in South Africa (latest distribution from OECD Global Distribution of Household Wealth dataset; “top 10% share”).
03
The Gini coefficient for net wealth is 0.80 in the United States (latest OECD Global Distribution of Household Wealth estimate used in OECD inequality dashboard).
04
13.7% of U.S. workers were in unions in 2023 (BLS union membership annual averages; union membership rate).
05
1.09x ratio of the average hourly earnings of women to men in the United States in 2023 (BLS “Women’s earnings as a percent of men’s”).
06
3.2% of U.S. adults were living in poverty in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau official poverty rate).
07
In 2022, the U.K. Gini index for disposable income was 0.34 after taxes and transfers (OECD income distribution dataset / OECD inequality and poverty dashboard)
08
Net inequality (Gini after taxes and transfers minus Gini before taxes and transfers) reduces income inequality by 21% in the EU on average (OECD measure of redistributive impact from “Gini before/after taxes”).
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across this industry overview of inequality, wealth and opportunity are highly concentrated with the top 1 percent holding 23.6 percent of total wealth in Canada and a stark 58.7 percent of net wealth owned by just 10 percent of households in South Africa, alongside persistent gaps like a 0.80 net wealth Gini in the United States and a 13.7 percent union membership rate among U.S. workers in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Income inequality varies widely across countries
Gini coefficients (income inequality) span from relatively low inequality (e.g., Denmark) to much higher inequality (e.g., Namibia).
0.29
0.29 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Denmark (latest year shown in th
0.50
0.50 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Namibia (latest year shown in th
0.43
0.43 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for the United States (latest year s
0.34
0.34 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Brazil (latest year shown in the
0.35
0.35 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for Mexico (latest year shown in the
0.40
0.40 Gini coefficient for the Gini index of income inequality (World Bank estimate) for South Africa (latest year shown
source-verifieddata.worldbank.org
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Inequality Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/inequality-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Inequality Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/inequality-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Inequality Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/inequality-statistics.
Sources & references
36 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+25 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)