Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank was 20.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
20.1%
World rank
11th
of 109 countries
All-time high
21.0%
in 2006
All-time low
14.8%
in 1985
Years of data
8
1985–2016

Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in Sri Lanka, 1985–2016

051015201985200020161985: 14.8 %1990: 17.7 %1995: 16.2 %2002: 20.7 %2006: 21 %2009: 18.1 %2012: 20.4 %2016: 20.1 %

Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 20.1% for income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in 2016.

The figure is down 4.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in Sri Lanka peaked at 21.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 1985.

Sri Lanka ranks 11th of 109 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 14.8% 14.8% 14.8% 1
1990s 16.9% 16.2% 17.7% 2
2000s 19.9% 18.1% 21.0% 3
2010s 20.2% 20.1% 20.4% 2

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 8 Tunisia 20.9% compare
  2. 9 Uganda 20.6% compare
  3. 10 Chile 20.2% compare
  4. 12 Laos 20.0% compare
  5. 13 Russia 19.8% compare
  6. 14 Georgia 19.7% compare

See the full ranking of 109 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in Sri Lanka?
Income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in Sri Lanka was 20.1% in 2016, 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%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 21.0% in 2006.
What is the lowest income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 14.8% in 1985.
How does Sri Lanka rank for income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank?
Sri Lanka ranks 11th out of 109 countries with data for 2016.
Is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank
Unit
%
Source
World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
109 places, 2,196 data points, 1913–2024
Last refreshed

The share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured after taxes and benefits.