Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax was 9.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1982–2021
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 9.0% for income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 10.6% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 1982.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 86th of 109 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 4.9% | — |
| 1983 | 5.0% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 5.2% | +4.4% |
| 1985 | 5.3% | +1.7% |
| 1986 | 5.4% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 5.6% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 6.1% | +9.3% |
| 1989 | 6.1% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 7.2% | +19.1% |
| 1991 | 7.3% | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 7.2% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 7.6% | +5.3% |
| 1994 | 8.0% | +5.9% |
| 1995 | 7.7% | -4.4% |
| 1996 | 9.2% | +20.3% |
| 1997 | 9.5% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 8.9% | -5.8% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 8.1% | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 8.1% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 8.4% | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 9.7% | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | -5.6% |
| 2006 | 10.6% | +15.9% |
| 2007 | 10.5% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 8.5% | -18.8% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 7.0% | -19.4% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | +7.9% |
| 2012 | 9.0% | +18.0% |
| 2015 | 8.8% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 8.8% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 8.2% | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | +14.4% |
| 2019 | 9.2% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 9.0% | +3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 8.1% | 7.2% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 8.1% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.5% | 7.0% | 9.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 8.6% | 9.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2642 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 15,219 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -88.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -82.76 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual 5.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 0.0049 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 279.97 current LCU per person (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 9.0% in 2021, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 1% before and after tax recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.6% in 2006.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% before and after tax recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 1982.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for income share of the richest 1% before and after tax?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 86th out of 109 countries with data for 2021.
- Is income share of the richest 1% before and after tax rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% before and after tax. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured after taxes and benefits.