What are the four World Bank income groups?

Low income, lower-middle income, upper-middle income, and high income. Countries are sorted into them each July based on gross national income (GNI) per capita from the previous calendar year.

What are the current GNI thresholds?

For FY2026 (based on 2024 GNI): low income up to 1,135; lower-middle 1,136 to 4,495; upper-middle 4,496 to 13,935; high income above 13,935 US dollars per capita, all measured by the Atlas method.

What is the Atlas method?

It converts national income to US dollars using a three-year smoothed exchange rate that adjusts for inflation differences between the country and major economies. This dampens year-to-year currency swings in the classification.

How often do the thresholds change?

The World Bank updates both the thresholds and country assignments every July at the start of its fiscal year. Thresholds are adjusted upward over time for international inflation.

Do income groups affect lending terms?

Yes. Eligibility for concessional IDA lending, IBRD graduation, and many aid programmes is tied to these thresholds, so a country crossing a boundary can change the financing it can access.

World Bank Income Group Reference

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The World Bank sorts every economy into one of four income groups each fiscal year, using gross national income (GNI) per capita measured by the Atlas method. This reference shows the current thresholds, lets you classify any GNI figure, and includes a sample of countries by group.

How it works

A country’s income group is decided by comparing its Atlas-method GNI per capita (in current US dollars) against fixed thresholds:

Low income          GNI <= 1,135
Lower-middle income 1,136 <= GNI <= 4,495
Upper-middle income 4,496 <= GNI <= 13,935
High income         GNI  > 13,935

The Atlas method converts local-currency GNI to dollars using a conversion factor that averages the current exchange rate with the two preceding years, each adjusted for the gap between the country’s inflation and that of the major economies. This smoothing keeps a single bad currency year from reclassifying a country.

Notes and tips

Thresholds shown are for fiscal year 2026, based on 2024 GNI data, and are revised every July.
“Developing country” is no longer an official World Bank category — the four income groups replaced it.
High-income status can trigger IBRD graduation discussions, while low and lower-middle income status governs access to concessional IDA finance.
The sample country list is illustrative; the authoritative list is published in the World Bank’s annual classification table.