Income share held by highest 10% in Australia

Australia: Income share held by highest 10% was 25.9% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
25.9%
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
71st
of 121 countries
All-time high
27.4%
in 2008
All-time low
23.3%
in 1981
Years of data
13
1981–2020

Income share held by highest 10% in Australia, 1981–2020

01020301981200020201981: 23.31985: 24.31989: 24.71995: 24.62001: 25.12003: 25.12004: 25.32008: 27.42010: 26.52014: 272016: 25.82018: 26.62020: 25.9

Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.

Analysis

In 2020, income share held by highest 10% in Australia stood at 25.9%.

The figure is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share held by highest 10% in Australia peaked at 27.4% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 23.3%, in 1981.

That places Australia 71st out of 121 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 24.1% 23.3% 24.7% 3
1990s 24.6% 24.6% 24.6% 1
2000s 25.7% 25.1% 27.4% 4
2010s 26.5% 25.8% 27.0% 4
2020s 25.9% 25.9% 25.9% 1

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 68 Guinea-Bissau 26.1% compare
  2. 69 Greece 26.0% compare
  3. 69 Thailand 26.0% compare
  4. 72 Italy 25.8% compare
  5. 73 Bangladesh 25.5% compare
  6. 73 Denmark 25.5% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share held by highest 10% in Australia?
Income share held by highest 10% in Australia was 25.9% in 2020, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
What is the highest income share held by highest 10% recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 27.4% in 2008.
What is the lowest income share held by highest 10% recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 23.3% in 1981.
How does Australia rank for income share held by highest 10%?
Australia ranks 71st out of 121 countries with data for 2020.
Is income share held by highest 10% rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Income share held by highest 10%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Income share held by highest 10%
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,305 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles.