Income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay
Uruguay: Income share held by highest 20% was 46.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay, 1981–2024
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
The most recent figure for income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay is 46.1%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay peaked at 51.9% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 45.7%, in 2017.
Uruguay ranks 33rd of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 49.2% | — |
| 1989 | 48.1% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 47.4% | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 46.8% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 46.8% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 47.4% | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 48.1% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 49.0% | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 50.4% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 50.9% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 50.8% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 51.2% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 50.2% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 51.6% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 51.9% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 50.8% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 51.0% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 50.1% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 48.0% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 45.8% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 46.4% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 46.1% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 46.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 45.8% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 45.7% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 45.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 45.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 46.2% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 46.8% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 46.7% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 46.9% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 46.1% | -1.7% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 46.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.9%, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 46.1% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 49.7%, 93% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 48.7% | 48.1% | 49.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 47.3% | 46.8% | 48.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 50.8% | 49.0% | 51.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.6% | 45.7% | 50.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 46.1% | 46.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More poverty & inequality data for Uruguay
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.41 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 5,058 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 10.1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 25.88 (2021)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 25.9% (2021)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay?
- Income share held by highest 20% in Uruguay was 46.1% in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 51.9% in 2007.
- What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.7% in 2017.
- How does Uruguay rank for income share held by highest 20%?
- Uruguay ranks 33rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Income share held by highest 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.