Some PerspectiveAnalysis

Inequality

The top 1% income share is at colonial-era levels

India's top 1% income share crossed 23% in 2026 — the highest since 1922, when the colonial economy was at its most extractive. The bottom 50% share has slid from 15.0% (2014) to 12.9% over the same period.

A growing economy has redistributed upward for twelve straight years.

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About this reading

This is one of 36 standing analyses drawn from the Some Perspective dataset. It is not dated commentary: it describes a relationship in the data that holds across the series, and it is regenerated whenever the underlying dataset is refreshed. The figures quoted here reflect the 2026-08-15 data vintage.

Growth and formal jobs have moved in opposite di… →

Raman, V.S. Some Perspective: India's Economic Transformation. someperspective.info · CC BY 4.0 · data vintage 2026-08-15. Cite & download · All analyses