Wealth and income percentiles in India
How much net worth or income does it take to be in the top 10% or top 1% in India? Model estimates for 954.5 million adults aged 20+, reference level 2025.
Net worth thresholds in India
Net worth is private assets (property, deposits, securities, business ownership) minus debt, per adult. Thresholds show the minimum net worth needed to belong to each group.
| Group of adults | Threshold, INR | Threshold, USD |
|---|---|---|
| Median (top 50%) | INR 413,000 | USD 4,600 |
| Top 10% | INR 2,180,000 | USD 24,300 |
| Top 5% | INR 3,230,000 | USD 36,000 |
| Top 1% | INR 17,500,000 | USD 195,000 |
| Top 0.1% | INR 65,300,000 | USD 726,000 |
| Average (mean) | INR 1,540,000 | USD 17,100 |
Income thresholds in India
Income is a harmonized pre-tax economic income per adult used for cross-country comparison. It is broader than wages and includes capital income, pensions and some imputed components.
| Group of adults | Threshold, INR | Threshold, USD |
|---|---|---|
| Median (top 50%) | INR 148,000 | USD 1,650 |
| Top 10% | INR 354,000 | USD 3,940 |
| Top 5% | INR 1,450,000 | USD 16,100 |
| Top 1% | INR 2,910,000 | USD 32,400 |
| Top 0.1% | INR 11,500,000 | USD 128,000 |
| Average (mean) | INR 340,000 | USD 3,780 |
India in a global context
India has 17.24% of the world’s adults. About 1.2% of them are in the world’s top 10% by net worth and 0.04% are in the global top 1%. By income, the shares are 0.67% and 0.06%.
The median adult in India is in the global top 62.6% by net worth and the global top 74.0% by income. India is home to about 0.75% of the world’s top 1% by net worth.
Data quality and sources
Scores run from 1 (strong direct national source coverage) to 5 (mainly modelled).
| Measure | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Net worth | 3 | The World Inequality Lab study provides several concrete wealth thresholds, including lower and upper parts of the distribution. It remains harmonized model evidence rather than a complete national ownership register. |
| Income | 3 | The World Inequality Lab study for India provides several concrete income thresholds across the distribution in addition to WIR shares. The data are harmonized and historical for 2022–23, not a fresh official register. |
- World Inequality Lab WP2024/09, Tables2-3
- World Inequality Report 2026: Country Sheets
- World Inequality Lab WP2024/09, Tables2-3
- World Inequality Report 2026: Country Sheets
Amounts are converted at fixed exchange rates of 2025-12-31; they do not adjust for purchasing power. Thresholds in the extreme top are modelled and uncertain.
Frequently asked questions
How much net worth do you need to be in the top 1% in India?
About INR 17,500,000 in net worth (assets minus debt) per adult, according to the WealthPercentile model for 2025. The top 10% starts at about INR 2,180,000.
What is the median income in India?
The median adult in India has a broad pre-tax economic income of about INR 148,000 a year. This measure is broader than wages: it includes capital income and some imputed components, so it is higher than a typical payslip.
How many adults in India are in the global top 1%?
About 0.04% of adults in India are in the world’s top 1% by net worth, and 0.06% by income.
How reliable are these numbers?
They are model estimates. The data-quality score for India is 3/5 for net worth and 3/5 for income, where 1 means strong direct source coverage and 5 means mainly modelled.