Sri Lanka vs United States: Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax)
Sri Lanka
20.5%
in 2016
United States
20.7%
in 2024
Sri Lanka rank
17th
United States rank
16th
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) over time
- Sri Lanka
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 20.7% against 20.5% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 8 years both countries report, Sri Lanka has been ahead every year.
Sri Lanka ranks 17th and United States ranks 16th of 113 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sri Lanka | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8% | 12.3% | 2.5% | Sri Lanka |
| 1990s | 16.9% | 14.6% | 2.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 17.1% | 3.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 19.1% | 1.4% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax), Sri Lanka or United States?
- United States, at 20.7% against 20.5% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) between Sri Lanka and United States?
- 0.2%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sri Lanka and United States?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2016.
- How do Sri Lanka and United States rank globally for income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 17th and United States ranks 16th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.