Income share held by highest 20% in Ireland

Ireland: Income share held by highest 20% was 38.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
38.3%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
98th
of 121 countries
All-time high
44.5%
in 1995
All-time low
38.3%
in 2020
Years of data
27
1987–2023

Income share held by highest 20% in Ireland, 1987–2023

0102030401987200520231987: 42.71994: 44.41995: 44.51996: 43.22000: 412002: 40.22003: 40.82004: 41.32005: 41.82006: 40.72007: 40.32008: 39.32009: 40.72010: 40.22011: 40.72012: 41.12013: 41.32014: 40.12015: 40.22016: 41.22017: 402018: 39.72019: 39.22020: 38.32021: 38.52022: 38.92023: 38.3

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

Ireland recorded 38.3% for income share held by highest 20% in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in Ireland peaked at 44.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 38.3%, in 2020.

Ireland ranks 98th of 121 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 42.7% 42.7% 42.7% 1
1990s 44.0% 43.2% 44.5% 3
2000s 40.7% 39.3% 41.8% 9
2010s 40.4% 39.2% 41.3% 10
2020s 38.5% 38.3% 38.9% 4

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 95 Bosnia and Herzegovina 38.7% compare
  2. 96 Egypt 38.6% compare
  3. 97 Hungary 38.5% compare
  4. 99 Guinea 38.2% compare
  5. 100 Albania 38.0% compare
  6. 100 Croatia 38.0% compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share held by highest 20% in Ireland?
Income share held by highest 20% in Ireland was 38.3% in 2023, 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 20% recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 44.5% in 1995.
What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 38.3% in 2020.
How does Ireland rank for income share held by highest 20%?
Ireland ranks 98th out of 121 countries with data for 2023.
Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland 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 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Income share held by highest 20%
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. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.