Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 21.1% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Latest (2019)
21.1%
Change on year
up 20.5%
World rank
15th
of 113 countries
All-time high
22.2%
in 1918
All-time low
15.9%
in 2011
Years of data
60
1917–2019
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe, 1917–2019
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe is 21.1%, measured in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.5% on the previous year and up 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe peaked at 22.2% in 1918 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 2011.
That places Zimbabwe 15th out of 113 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1917 | 20.8% | — |
| 1918 | 22.2% | +6.8% |
| 1919 | 20.6% | -7.1% |
| 1920 | 21.6% | +4.7% |
| 1921 | 20.6% | -4.5% |
| 1922 | 21.3% | +3.1% |
| 1923 | 19.6% | -8.0% |
| 1924 | 20.6% | +5.2% |
| 1925 | 20.9% | +1.3% |
| 1926 | 21.5% | +3.2% |
| 1927 | 21.6% | +0.3% |
| 1928 | 21.0% | -2.7% |
| 1929 | 21.5% | +2.1% |
| 1930 | 20.3% | -5.5% |
| 1931 | 21.2% | +4.6% |
| 1932 | 20.5% | -3.4% |
| 1933 | 21.9% | +6.9% |
| 1934 | 21.5% | -2.1% |
| 1935 | 21.0% | -2.3% |
| 1936 | 21.2% | +1.2% |
| 1937 | 21.2% | -0.2% |
| 1938 | 20.5% | -3.1% |
| 1939 | 20.3% | -0.9% |
| 1945 | 20.8% | +2.4% |
| 1946 | 22.0% | +5.7% |
| 1947 | 21.3% | -3.4% |
| 1948 | 20.8% | -2.3% |
| 1949 | 20.7% | -0.3% |
| 1950 | 20.0% | -3.6% |
| 1951 | 19.7% | -1.4% |
| 1952 | 20.3% | +3.2% |
| 1953 | 19.7% | -3.0% |
| 1954 | 20.2% | +2.5% |
| 1955 | 20.7% | +2.6% |
| 1956 | 20.7% | -0.0% |
| 1957 | 20.9% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 21.1% | +1.1% |
| 1959 | 21.1% | -0.0% |
| 1960 | 22.0% | +4.1% |
| 1961 | 21.1% | -4.3% |
| 1962 | 21.3% | +1.2% |
| 1963 | 20.0% | -6.2% |
| 1964 | 20.0% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 20.1% | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 19.1% | -5.4% |
| 1967 | 19.0% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 19.1% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 18.5% | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 19.1% | +3.2% |
| 1971 | 19.0% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 18.3% | -3.7% |
| 1973 | 18.7% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 18.1% | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 17.5% | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 17.6% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 17.0% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 16.8% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 15.9% | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 17.5% | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 21.1% | +20.5% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 21.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.2%, 1.3× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 21.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.5%, 1.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 21.2% | 20.6% | 22.2% | 3 |
| 1920s | 21.0% | 19.6% | 21.6% | 10 |
| 1930s | 21.0% | 20.3% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 21.1% | 20.7% | 22.0% | 5 |
| 1950s | 20.5% | 19.7% | 21.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 20.0% | 18.5% | 22.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 18.0% | 16.8% | 19.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 15.9% | 21.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Political opposition, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament and government, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe?
- Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Zimbabwe was 21.1% in 2019, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 22.2% in 1918.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 2011.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- Zimbabwe ranks 15th out of 113 countries with data for 2019.
- Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.