Uruguay Income Share Bottom 10%

Uruguay’s share of income accruing to the bottom 10 percent of earners stood at 2.15 percent in 2025, placing the country 54th in the world according to the World Bank. Over the 33‑year series that begins in 1981, the indicator has moved modestly, rising from an early low of 1.90 percent to a historic peak of 2.30 percent in 2019 before slipping to a trough of 1.80 percent during the global financial crisis in 2009. The recent figure sits just above Peru’s 2.13 percent share and slightly below Bulgaria’s 2.18 percent, suggesting Uruguay’s distribution remains comparable to other middle‑income economies with similar social safety nets. The modest upward drift since the 2009 trough reflects gradual improvements in tax progressivity and social transfers, yet the share remains well below the levels seen in more egalitarian societies. Continued reforms to broaden fiscal capacity and strengthen labor market inclusion could further lift the bottom‑decile share, sustaining the incremental progress observed since the post‑crisis recovery.