The share of a country's income that goes to its richest 1% varies enormously. In Norway and Slovakia the top 1% receive about 7% of national income, while in Mexico the figure is around 27%, and in Mozambique and the Central African Republic it reaches about 31%. Income is counted before taxes and transfers in these estimates, so the gap mostly reflects how earnings and capital are distributed in the economy itself. Countries with high shares often have large gaps in land, business ownership, or access to good jobs, while more equal countries tend to have stronger wage floors and broader education. The comparison shows that wealth concentration is a choice shaped by institutions and history, not a fixed feature of modern economies.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.