Income share of the richest 20% — all countries

Income share of the richest 20% — United Kingdom

Income share of the richest 20% in the United Kingdom in 2021 — 40%. Ranked 26 in the world out of 81. Since 1968, the indicator has risen by 3.3 pp.

2021 40% −0.3 pp vs 2020
World rank 26of 81
Period maximum 45.8%2000
Period minimum 36.6%1978

Trend over time

1968–2021 · % of income

Income share of the richest 20% — United Kingdom, 1968–20213537.54042.54547.519681974198019861992199820042010201620211968: 36.7%1969: 37.5%1970: 37.6%1971: 38.6%1972: 37.9%1973: 38.2%1974: 38.2%1975: 37.3%1976: 37.1%1977: 36.8%1978: 36.6%1979: 37%1980: 37.8%1981: 38.6%1982: 38.8%1983: 38.7%1984: 38.1%1985: 39.1%1986: 40.2%1987: 41.9%1988: 42.2%1989: 41.1%1990: 42.9%1991: 42.3%1992: 42.3%1993: 42.3%1994: 43.2%1995: 42.8%1996: 42.6%1997: 43%1998: 43.7%1999: 43.8%2000: 45.8%2001: 44.3%2002: 42.7%2003: 42.4%2004: 42.4%2005: 42.8%2006: 43.3%2007: 41.8%2008: 42.8%2009: 42.6%2010: 41.5%2011: 41%2012: 41%2013: 40.5%2014: 40.8%2015: 40.9%2016: 40.6%2017: 40.2%2018: 41.1%2019: 40.3%2020: 40.3%2021: 40%
Change over the period: +3.3 pp Annual average: 0.06 pp
Income share of the richest 20% — United Kingdom, by year United Kingdom All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 40 −0.3 pp
2020 40.3 +0 pp
2019 40.3 −0.8 pp
2018 41.1 +0.9 pp
2017 40.2 −0.4 pp
2016 40.6 −0.3 pp
2015 40.9 +0.1 pp
2014 40.8 +0.3 pp
2013 40.5 −0.5 pp
2012 41 +0 pp
2011 41 −0.5 pp
2010 41.5 −1.1 pp
2009 42.6 −0.2 pp
2008 42.8 +1 pp
2007 41.8 −1.5 pp
2006 43.3 +0.5 pp
2005 42.8 +0.4 pp
2004 42.4 +0 pp
2003 42.4 −0.3 pp
2002 42.7 −1.6 pp
2001 44.3 −1.5 pp
2000 45.8 +2 pp
1999 43.8 +0.1 pp
1998 43.7 +0.7 pp
1997 43 +0.4 pp
1996 42.6 −0.2 pp
1995 42.8 −0.4 pp
1994 43.2 +0.9 pp
1993 42.3 +0 pp
1992 42.3 +0 pp
1991 42.3 −0.6 pp
1990 42.9 +1.8 pp
1989 41.1 −1.1 pp
1988 42.2 +0.3 pp
1987 41.9 +1.7 pp
1986 40.2 +1.1 pp
1985 39.1 +1 pp
1984 38.1 −0.6 pp
1983 38.7 −0.1 pp
1982 38.8 +0.2 pp
1981 38.6 +0.8 pp
1980 37.8 +0.8 pp
1979 37 +0.4 pp
1978 36.6 −0.2 pp
1977 36.8 −0.3 pp
1976 37.1 −0.2 pp
1975 37.3 −0.9 pp
1974 38.2 +0 pp
1973 38.2 +0.3 pp
1972 37.9 −0.7 pp
1971 38.6 +1 pp
1970 37.6 +0.1 pp
1969 37.5 +0.8 pp
1968 36.7

Northern Europe, 2021

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of total income or consumption that goes to the richest twenty percent of the population. Under complete equality it would be twenty percent; in the most unequal countries of Latin America and Southern Africa it comes to more than sixty. The ratio of this share to the share of the poorest quintile — the quintile ratio, S80/S20 — was historically the first measure of inequality, and it speaks more clearly than the Gini index about the gap between the poles.

Important: There are no aggregates for country groups for the same reason as with the Gini index: the quintile of a group is not a union of national quintiles. Household surveys systematically understate the incomes of the richest, so real inequality is higher than measured.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.