World Inequality Report 2026:
The 3rd World Inequality Report 2026 (WIR 2026), released by the World Inequality Lab, highlights unprecedented global inequality across income, wealth, gender, climate responsibility, and territorial divides, calling for urgent policy interventions.
Key Findings of the World Inequality Report 2026:
- The top 10% own three-quarters of global wealth, while the bottom half holds only 2%.
- The wealthiest 0.001% (around 60,000 multi-millionaires) control 3 times more wealth than half of humanity combined. Their share grew from 4% in 1995 to over 6% in 2025.
- Average education spending per child in Sub-Saharan Africa is Euros 220 (PPP), compared to Euros 7,430 in Europe and Euros 9,020 in North America & Oceania — over 40 times lower.
- The wealthiest 10% account for 77% of global emissions associated with private capital ownership, while the poorest half accounts for only 3%.
- Those who emit the least (populations in low-income countries) are most exposed to climate shocks, while high emitters have resources to adapt.
- Women work 53 hours per week on average vs 43 for men (including domestic and care work).
- Excluding unpaid work, women earn 61% of men’s hourly income; including unpaid labor, this falls to just 32%.
- Average daily income in North America & Oceania is Euros 125, compared to only Euros 10 in Sub-Saharan Africa — a 13-fold difference. The Top 10%/Bottom 50% income ratio reveals severe inequality within countries.
- Annually, a net financial transfer equal to 1% of global GDP—3 times total development aid—moves from poorer to wealthier nations due to demand for US and European sovereign bonds.
- The top 10% of earners capture a disproportionate 58% of the national income. In contrast, the bottom 50% of the population receives only 15%.
- The richest 10% hold around 65% of the nation’s total wealth. The top 1% alone holds about 40% of total wealth.
- The female labor force participation rate is only 15.7%, one of the lowest in the world.
- The average annual income per capita is approximately Euros 6,200 (PPP), and average wealth is about Euros 28,000 (PPP).
