Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax was 20.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% before and after 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% before and after tax in Sri Lanka stood at 20.1%.
That represents a change of down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in Sri Lanka peaked at 21.0% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 14.8%, in 1985.
That places Sri Lanka 11th out of 109 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 14.8% | — |
| 1990 | 17.7% | +19.6% |
| 1995 | 16.2% | -8.4% |
| 2002 | 20.7% | +28.1% |
| 2006 | 21.0% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | -13.9% |
| 2012 | 20.4% | +12.6% |
| 2016 | 20.1% | -1.2% |
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 | 19.9% | 18.1% | 21.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 20.2% | 20.1% | 20.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More economy & growth data for Sri Lanka
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.07 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -7.82 Percent per annum (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.2432 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 1,216 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 7.79 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 33.06 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 165,349 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5463 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in Sri Lanka?
- Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in Sri Lanka was 20.1% 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% before and after tax recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 21.0% in 2006.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% before and after 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% before and after tax?
- Sri Lanka ranks 11th out of 109 countries with data for 2016.
- Is income share of the richest 1% before and after tax rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. 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% before and after 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 after taxes and benefits.