The disparity in the share of the top 1% in net national income is especially stark between household surveys and WID estimates. Household surveys report a modest and relatively stable share for this group, fluctuating between 6.2% and 9.0% over the years, reflecting limited changes in top-end income concentration.

In contrast, WID estimates show a much larger and steadily rising share, from 19.3% in 2004-05 to 22.6% in 2022-23. This difference is due to WID’s reliance on tax data, which overrepresents high-income groups and emphasizes the concentration of wealth. Household surveys, on the other hand, provide a more balanced and comprehensive view of income inequality, especially at the top end.