Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) was 20.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka, 1985–2016
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2016, income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka stood at 20.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka peaked at 21.3% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 1985.
Sri Lanka ranks 17th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 14.8% | — |
| 1990 | 17.7% | +19.6% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | -8.5% |
| 2002 | 20.8% | +28.7% |
| 2006 | 21.3% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 18.6% | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 20.6% | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 20.5% | -0.5% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 20.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.9% | 16.2% | 17.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 18.6% | 21.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 20.5% | 20.5% | 20.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More poverty & inequality data for Sri Lanka
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 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 1.97 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,804 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 25.42 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 9.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 9.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka?
- Income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in Sri Lanka was 20.5% 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% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 21.3% in 2006.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) 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% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. 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% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.