China vs South Korea: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)
China
14.0%
in 2015
South Korea
14.1%
in 2022
China rank
63rd
South Korea rank
61st
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) over time
- China
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 14.1% against 14.0% in China, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 13 shared years of data; in 1982 it was South Korea ahead.
China ranks 63rd and South Korea ranks 61st of 113 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.1% | 7.6% | 0.5% | South Korea |
| 1990s | 9.1% | 7.0% | 2.1% | China |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 12.4% | 1.8% | China |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 15.9% | 1.6% | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher income share of the richest 1% (before tax), China or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 14.1% against 14.0% in China as of 2022.
- What is the difference in income share of the richest 1% (before tax) between China and South Korea?
- 0.1%, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Korea?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 1982 to 2015.
- How do China and South Korea rank globally for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- China ranks 63rd and South Korea ranks 61st of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.