The country with the highest wealth inequality in the world
The richest 10% of the world's population now owns three-quarters of all personal wealth.
The world is more unequal than ever, and South Africa remains among the countries with the highest levels of wealth and income inequality.
The latest World Inequality Report 2026 (WIR 2026) reveals how unevenly income, wealth and opportunity are distributed across the globe.
It is the third edition of the flagship report, following previous releases in 2018 and 2022.
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Compiled by more than 200 scholars from around the world and coordinated by the World Inequality Lab, the report draws on the largest database tracking the historical evolution of global inequality.
One of its key findings is that inequality in access to human capital, including education, healthcare and skills, remains higher than many people realise.
"Besides a wealth of novel data, WIR 2026 provides a framework for understanding how economic, environmental and political inequalities intersect," the report says.
The world is extremely unequal
The data shows that inequality remains at alarmingly high levels.
Today, the top 10% of global income earners take home more than the remaining 90% combined.
Meanwhile, the poorest half of the world’s population receives less than 10% of total global income.
Wealth inequality is even worse.
The richest 10% own around 75% of global wealth, while the bottom 50% own just 2%.
Inequality and climate change
The climate crisis is a shared global challenge, but responsibility for it is anything but equal.
According to the report, the poorest half of the world’s population is responsible for just 3% of carbon emissions linked to private capital ownership.
The top 10% account for 77% of these emissions.
Shockingly, the wealthiest 1% alone generate 41% of private capital ownership emissions, almost double that of the entire bottom 90% combined.
Gender inequality
Inequality is not limited to income, wealth, emissions and regions. It is also prevalent within households and everyday life.
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Globally, women earn just over a quarter of total labour income, a figure that has barely changed since 1990.
Women's share of labour income by region:
- 16% in the Middle East and North Africa
- 20% in South and Southeast Asia
- 28% in Sub-Saharan Africa
- 34% in East Asia
In Europe, North America, Oceania, and Russia and Central Asia, women perform better but still earn only around 40% of total labour income.
According to WIR 2026, women also work longer hours overall.
When paid and unpaid labour are combined, women work an average of 53 hours per week, compared to 43 hours for men. Yet their work is consistently undervalued.
Excluding unpaid labour, women earn 61% of men’s hourly income.
When unpaid work is included, that figure drops to just 32%.
Inequality between regions
High-income areas such as North America, Oceania and Europe sit at the top, followed by middle-income regions including East Asia, Russia and Central Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa.
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At the bottom are some of the world’s most populous regions, including Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where average incomes remain far lower.
The most unequal country in the world
According to Al Jazeera, South Africa ranks as the most unequal country in the world in terms of both wealth and income distribution.
The richest 10% of South Africans earn 66% of total income, while the poorest half of the population receives just 6%.
When it comes to wealth, inequality in South Africa is even more extreme.
The richest 10% control around 85% of personal wealth, while the bottom 50% hold negative wealth, meaning their debts outweigh their assets.
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