Business EconomyPosted at: Dec 12 2025 8:00PM


India's economic boom failed to lift bottom 50 per cent: World Inequality Report 2026

New Delhi, Dec 12 (UNI) India's economic rise may make global headlines, but a new set of numbers reveals a stark reality beneath the surface: a tiny slice of Indians is racing ahead, while half the country is stuck at the bottom with little to no movement, said the World Inequality Report 2026 released on Friday.
The report, foreword by Jayati Ghosh and Joseph E Stiglitz, explores new dimensions of inequality that define the 21st century: climate and wealth, gender disparities, unequal access to human capital, asymmetries of the global financial system and territorial divides.
Fresh data shows the top 10 per cent now corner nearly 58 per cent of all national income, leaving the bottom 50 per cent to share just 15 per cent. Even more striking, the top 1 per cent alone holds 40 per cent of India's total wealth, making the country one of the most unequal in the world.
Despite a decade of booming stock markets, expanding industries and record-breaking billionaires, the income gap between the richest 10 per cent and the poorest 50 per cent has not budged from 2014 to 2024. Economists say this kind of stagnation signals deep, systemic barriers that prevent ordinary Indians from moving up.
The average income per Indian is about € 6,200 (PPP).
The top 1 per cent earns €140,649 on average - over 22 times more.
The bottom 50 per cent barely reach € 940.
On the wealth front, the picture is even more unequal. While the average Indian holds assets worth around €28,000, the wealthy elite tower far above this figure. The bottom half of the population controls just 6 per cent of India's wealth, reinforcing how asset ownership has become a privilege for the few.
Another worrying marker: female labour participation remains stuck at 15.7 per cent, unchanged for a decade, reflecting social and structural constraints that limit women's economic access.
A century-long income share chart included in the report shows a relentless rise of the top 10 per cent since the 1980s, climbing back to near-historic highs, while the bottom 50 per cent trace a nearly flat line- a visual reminder of missed opportunities for millions.
Experts warn that if India wants inclusive growth, it must urgently push for better-quality jobs, stronger social protection, and policies that allow wealth and opportunities to flow beyond a small elite.
The data sends a powerful message: India is growing, but too many Indians are not.
UNI SAS RKM
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