Where are the highest incomes?

The global distribution of income groups reveals strong regional contrasts, from a high concentration of rich economies in Europe and Central Asia to a much higher share of low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The World Bank classifies economies into four groups based on gross national income (GNI) per capita: low-income (up to $1,175), lower-middle-income ($1,176 - $4,635), upper-middle-income ($4,636 - $14,375), and high-income (over $14,375).

Based on this data, visualcapitalist.com shows how countries in each region are distributed by income group (figures for 2025).

• Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the lowest income

Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where low-income countries account for the largest share. Almost half of Africa's countries (44%) are classified as low-income, while another 42% fall into the lower-middle income category.

While several economies in the region have grown rapidly over the past two decades, many remain constrained by limited industrialization, infrastructure gaps, and rapid population growth, slowing per capita income growth, according to the cited source.

Seychelles is the only country in sub-Saharan Africa classified as high-income. Its status is supported by a small population and a high-value economy focused on tourism and fishing, which generates substantial per capita income.

• High-income economies - concentrated in three regions

According to the World Bank's regional classification, North America - with a 100% concentration of rich economies - consists of Canada, the United States and Bermuda, all of which are high-income economies. Mexico is grouped with Latin America and the Caribbean.

Europe and Central Asia also have a strong concentration of rich economies, with 69% of countries classified as high-income countries.

East Asia and the Pacific has a more varied profile, with 42% of countries in the high-income group and another 34% in the upper-middle-income category. The region includes advanced economies such as Japan, Singapore and Australia, alongside rapidly developing countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

• Middle- and upper-middle-income economies dominate several regions

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 88% of countries fall into the upper-middle-income or high-income categories. South Asia has no low-income countries, according to the most recent classification. Two-thirds of its countries are lower-middle-income, while the remaining third are upper-middle-income.

The Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have the widest distribution across all four income groups. The region includes some of the world's richest energy-exporting economies, along with low-income countries that face slower development or prolonged instability.