Peru's wealthiest 1% acquired 42% of all new wealth generated in the country between 2019 and 2025, according to an analysis released by Oxfam on October 20, 2026. This marks an increase from the 39% accumulated by the top 1% between 2000 and 2019. In stark contrast, the poorest 50% of Peruvians received only 1.4% of this new wealth during the same recent period.

This extreme concentration of wealth, detailed in the Oxfam report, suggests a deepening divide that experts warn could undermine public trust in government and democratic institutions. It also introduces sovereign political risk, particularly for a nation that is a significant global producer of copper.

What the records show

The Oxfam analysis, co-published with the Institute for Peruvian Studies, includes findings from the 2026 National Survey on Perceptions of Inequalities (ENADES 2026). This survey revealed widespread public discontent regarding economic and political power. Eighty-four percent of Peruvians believe the country is governed by powerful groups, such as political elites and large corporations, for their own benefit.

The survey also highlighted concerns about tax fairness, with 77% of respondents believing wealthy individuals evade their fair share of taxes and 76% holding the same view about large corporations. A majority of Peruvians, 72%, perceive their country as very or somewhat unequal, and 57% believe the wealth gap has become excessively wide. Nearly four in ten Peruvians, 38%, expressed a belief that lifelong hard work would not lead to wealth.

The timeline

Between 2019 and 2025, while the top 1% gained 42% of new wealth, the average income of Peruvians in the top 0.1% rose by 16%. Over the same period, the poorest half of the population experienced an 8% decrease in their average income. This period of increasing wealth disparity has coincided with significant political instability in Peru, which has seen nine presidents in ten years. Keiko Fujimori took office as president in July 2026.

What changed and for whom

The concentration of wealth in Peru has intensified, with the top 1% increasing their share of new wealth from 39% (2000-2019) to 42% (2019-2025). Globally, Peru now has the second-highest concentration of income among the richest 0.1%. The average wealth of a Peruvian in the top 0.1% is 4,800 times greater than that of someone in the bottom 50%. The country's richest individual holds more wealth than the poorest 40% combined, with their fortune increasing by 75% in real terms over the past year and 285% over the last five years.

The systemic inequities are attributed to factors including an uneven economic recovery following the pandemic, double-digit domestic food inflation, regressive fiscal policies, and persistent informal labor markets.

What the subject has said publicly

Oxfam in Peru Executive Director Alejandra Alayza stated in the report, "Economic inequality in Peru has remained stubbornly high for decades." Alayza added that when people feel "that the same people always win, that nothing changes and nothing can change, inequality starts to look less like an injustice and more like the natural order of things. That is a dangerous kind of fatalism, and we must tear it down". She also said, "Inequality is not a force of nature – it is made by political choices. And different choices can build a different Peru". The survey found that 7 out of 10 Peruvians believe the government needs to implement measures to reduce inequality.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm specific government responses or plans regarding the Oxfam report's findings or the public's perception of inequality. We also could not confirm whether the current administration plans to address the structural issues contributing to wealth disparity, such as regressive fiscal policies or the informal labor market.