Wealth share of the richest 1% in India
India: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 40.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Wealth share of the richest 1% in India, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, wealth share of the richest 1% in India stood at 40.1%. That is the highest value across all 58 years on record.
The figure is up 32.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in India peaked at 40.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 1971.
That places India 6th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 58 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 21.2% | — |
| 1850 | 25.1% | +18.5% |
| 1880 | 27.3% | +8.8% |
| 1900 | 27.6% | +1.0% |
| 1910 | 17.8% | -35.5% |
| 1920 | 27.6% | +54.7% |
| 1930 | 21.0% | -23.9% |
| 1940 | 26.0% | +23.9% |
| 1950 | 13.5% | -48.0% |
| 1960 | 14.3% | +5.7% |
| 1961 | 12.9% | -9.6% |
| 1970 | 14.2% | +9.7% |
| 1971 | 12.2% | -13.6% |
| 1980 | 12.5% | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 12.5% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 12.8% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | +5.9% |
| 1984 | 13.6% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 14.1% | +3.3% |
| 1986 | 14.4% | +2.7% |
| 1987 | 14.7% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 15.3% | +4.2% |
| 1989 | 15.6% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 15.7% | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 16.1% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 16.4% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 16.7% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 17.1% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 17.2% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 17.4% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 18.5% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 19.4% | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 20.7% | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 22.6% | +9.4% |
| 2002 | 25.4% | +12.6% |
| 2003 | 25.1% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 26.8% | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 29.9% | +9.5% |
| 2007 | 34.0% | +13.8% |
| 2008 | 31.4% | -7.8% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 31.8% | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 33.3% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 30.8% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 31.1% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 30.4% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 33.2% | +9.3% |
| 2016 | 32.6% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 33.6% | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 37.4% | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 36.5% | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 35.2% | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 39.0% | +10.8% |
| 2022 | 40.1% | +2.8% |
| 2023 | 40.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 40.1% | +0.0% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 40.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 27.2%, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 40.1% is above the median for South Asia, which is 24.2%, 1.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% in India changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | +54.7% | 17.8% | 27.6% |
| 1950 | -48.0% | 26.0% | 13.5% |
| 1910 | -35.5% | 27.6% | 17.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 21.2% | 21.2% | 21.2% | 1 |
| 1850s | 25.1% | 25.1% | 25.1% | 1 |
| 1880s | 27.3% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1 |
| 1900s | 27.6% | 27.6% | 27.6% | 1 |
| 1910s | 17.8% | 17.8% | 17.8% | 1 |
| 1920s | 27.6% | 27.6% | 27.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 26.0% | 26.0% | 26.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 13.5% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 1 |
| 1960s | 13.6% | 12.9% | 14.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 13.2% | 12.2% | 14.2% | 2 |
| 1980s | 13.9% | 12.5% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.2% | 15.7% | 19.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.2% | 20.7% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.1% | 30.4% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.9% | 35.2% | 40.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More reference data data for India
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 68.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 70.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 309.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 85.03 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wealth share of the richest 1% in India?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in India was 40.1% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 40.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.2% in 1971.
- How does India rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- India ranks 6th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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 Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.