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World Bank Group · Income Share Held by Lowest 20%
Income share of the poorest 20% by country
How much of a country's income reaches its poorest fifth?
India placed first of the 60 countries compared in 2023, at 11.07%, and Colombia last, at 3.24%. In the middle country the figure was 7.12%. Among the 24 countries measured in every edition since 2002, the middle one moved from 7.05% to 7.16%.
Income share of the poorest 20% · 2023
Context statistic
Highest of 60India
11.07%012023 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 60 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: Kumaravels derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי · CC BY 2.5 in, greyscale
2Photo: Photo taken by Government of Kiribati employee in the course of their work · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
02Every measured country
Income share of the poorest 20% on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 3.24–5.50%
- 5.51–6.61%
- 6.92–7.63%
- 7.67–9.05%
- 9.06–11.07%
- No reading in 2023 (109 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
7.71%
the middle country, of 28 measured · 49 members
Slovenia10.04%
Bulgaria5.99%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Asia
7.44%
the middle country, of 14 measured · 52 members
India11.07%
Türkiye5.51%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Americas
5.05%
the middle country, of 15 measured · 48 members
Dominican Republic6.22%
Colombia3.24%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Africa
2 of 55 measured — too few for a middle: Rwanda, Uganda.
Rwanda7.37%
Uganda6.59%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
1 of 21 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati.
Kiribati10.19%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
14 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Northern Europe
8.66%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 13 members
Finland9.19%
Lithuania6.54%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
8.60%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 10 members
Moldova9.90%Bulgaria5.99%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Western Asia
7.79%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 19 members
Armenia9.54%Türkiye5.51%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Western Europe
7.69%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Belgium9.15%
Luxembourg7.09%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Southern Europe
7.27%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 17 members
Slovenia10.04%
Spain6.54%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- South America
5.11%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 12 members
Uruguay5.57%Colombia3.24%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Central America
4.49%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 8 members
El Salvador5.57%
Honduras3.62%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Caribbean
1 of 24 measured — too few for a middle: Dominican Republic.
Dominican Republic6.22%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Central Asia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.
Kyrgyzstan9.87%
Uzbekistan6.38%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Eastern Africa
2 of 19 measured — too few for a middle: Rwanda, Uganda.
Rwanda7.37%Uganda6.59%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Micronesia
1 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati.
Kiribati10.19%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Northern America
1 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: United States.
United States5.05%Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- South-eastern Asia
3 of 11 measured — too few for a middle: Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand.
Thailand7.94%
Philippines6.92%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Southern Asia
2 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: India, Iran.
India11.07%
Iran7.02%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
03The whole field at once
The spread
60 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 7.12%; a quarter are above 8.59%, and a quarter below 5.89%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 169 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. World Bank Group ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. It measures distribution, not poverty: a poor country that shares its income evenly scores well and a rich unequal one badly, so it belongs beside the poverty headcount rather than instead of it. The country set changes every year, survey by survey, exactly as it does for the Gini index.
Showing 25 of 169 countries
Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052002–2023 · 22 reference years
Over time
Each point is one reference year from 2002, computed by the World Bank from household survey decile shares.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 24 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 60 | 7.12% | 5.89% – 8.59% | 7.16% |
| 2022 | 73 | 7.08% | 5.77% – 8.19% | 7.18% |
| 2021 | 82 | 7.33% | 6.11% – 8.29% | 7.08% |
| 2020 | 71 | 7.21% | 6.03% – 8.47% | 7.13% |
| 2019 | 79 | 7.33% | 5.87% – 8.56% | 7.08% |
| 2018 | 94 | 7.09% | 5.85% – 8.06% | 6.85% |
| 2017 | 79 | 6.81% | 5.64% – 8.33% | 6.66% |
| 2016 | 84 | 7.15% | 5.57% – 8.04% | 6.81% |
| 2015 | 87 | 7.24% | 5.55% – 7.93% | 6.92% |
| 2014 | 84 | 7.10% | 5.12% – 8.06% | 6.49% |
| 2013 | 78 | 6.78% | 5.53% – 8.10% | 6.62% |
| 2012 | 87 | 7.01% | 5.45% – 8.18% | 6.51% |
| 2011 | 82 | 7.28% | 5.43% – 8.49% | 6.79% |
| 2010 | 87 | 7.26% | 5.70% – 8.43% | 6.60% |
| 2009 | 83 | 6.85% | 5.19% – 8.36% | 6.88% |
| 2008 | 79 | 7.04% | 5.15% – 8.52% | 7.01% |
| 2007 | 73 | 7.19% | 5.83% – 8.42% | 7.02% |
| 2006 | 82 | 6.93% | 5.04% – 8.58% | 6.89% |
| 2005 | 81 | 6.73% | 4.99% – 8.43% | 6.81% |
| 2004 | 75 | 7.29% | 5.35% – 8.55% | 6.95% |
| 2003 | 69 | 6.99% | 5.20% – 8.28% | 7.24% |
| 2002 | 68 | 6.74% | 5.43% – 8.01% | 7.05% |
062022 → 2023
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → afterDeclined most
before → after- Uzbekistan7.16% → 6.38% · 34th → 43rd−0.78
- Dominican Republic6.64% → 6.22% · 48th → 44th−0.42
Argentina5.44% → 5.06% · 60th → 52nd−0.38- Moldova10.24% → 9.90% · 2nd → 4th−0.34
- Belgium9.43% → 9.15% · 6th → 10th−0.28
51 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023. The field changed from 73 to 60 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Income share of the poorest 20% in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
11.07%
Share of national income held by the poorest fifth (%)
Lowest reading on record
1.71%
Share of national income held by the poorest fifth (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+2.98
5.95% → 8.93%
Biggest decline between editions
−5.95
9.43% → 3.48%
Most improved since first measured
+3.60
6.59% → 10.19%
At the top most often
8 of 22
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The measure
About income share of the poorest 20%
This is how much of all the income in a country goes to its poorest fifth of people. Perfect equality would put 20% here and no country reaches it — the observed range runs from under 2% to about 11%, which is the clearest single picture of who an economy is actually working for.
What the number is: Share of national income held by the poorest fifth (%).
09Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Economy & Innovation and Poverty & Inequality, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Economy & InnovationPoverty & InequalityWhich statistics vote, and why
Moves with
Where income share of the poorest 20% is higher, these tend to be higher too.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Moves against
Where income share of the poorest 20% is higher, these tend to be lower.
No statistic lines up this closely.
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 0 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
10Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
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- All statistics
11Questions
Income share of the poorest 20%: questions and answers
Which country has the highest income share of the poorest 20%?
India, at 11.07%, among the 60 countries compared in 2023.
Which country has the lowest income share of the poorest 20%?
Colombia, at 3.24%, among the 60 countries compared in 2023.
How many countries does the Income Share Held by Lowest 20% cover?
60 in 2023, and 169 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 60 to 94 between editions.
What is the world average income share of the poorest 20%?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 60 compared in 2023, the figure was 7.12%.
Is this World Bank Group’s own ranking?
No. World Bank Group publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Income Share Held by Lowest 20% published?
This site holds 22 reference years, 2002–2023, all recalculated in World Bank Group’s 2026 report on one method — not 22 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From World Bank Group, under CC BY 4.0. Read from the World Bank’s Poverty and Inequality Platform rather than its indicator API, which rounds to one decimal and collapses the table onto far fewer distinct values. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
12Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Income Share Held by Lowest 20% — World Bank Group
Read from the World Bank’s Poverty and Inequality Platform rather than its indicator API, which rounds to one decimal and collapses the table onto far fewer distinct values.
Newest edition
Report year 2023Data year 2023
Cite the source as: World Bank. Poverty and Inequality Platform. Washington, DC: World Bank Group.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-09.
How this page reads the numbers
- World Bank Group ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Income share of the poorest 20% by country: Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, data from World Bank Group. https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/income-share-lowest-20