Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Income share held by fourth 20% was 22.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat

Latest (2021)
22.9%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
20th
of 123 countries
All-time high
22.9%
in 2017
All-time low
21.2%
in 2000
Years of data
54
1968–2021

Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1968–2021

0510152025196819942021

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

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 22.9% for income share held by fourth 20% in 2021. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 22.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2000.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.

Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1968 to 2021.
Year Value Change
1968 22.4%
1969 22.3% -0.4%
1970 22.3% +0.0%
1971 22.3% +0.0%
1972 22.7% +1.8%
1973 22.4% -1.3%
1974 22.3% -0.4%
1975 22.5% +0.9%
1976 22.7% +0.9%
1977 22.6% -0.4%
1978 22.8% +0.9%
1979 22.7% -0.4%
1980 22.5% -0.9%
1981 22.5% +0.0%
1982 22.5% +0.0%
1983 22.5% +0.0%
1984 22.7% +0.9%
1985 22.7% +0.0%
1986 22.4% -1.3%
1987 22.1% -1.3%
1988 22.1% +0.0%
1989 22.7% +2.7%
1990 22.6% -0.4%
1991 22.6% +0.0%
1992 22.6% +0.0%
1993 22.7% +0.4%
1994 22.3% -1.8%
1995 22.4% +0.4%
1996 22.4% +0.0%
1997 22.3% -0.4%
1998 22.1% -0.9%
1999 22.1% +0.0%
2000 21.2% -4.1%
2001 21.7% +2.4%
2002 22.0% +1.4%
2003 22.2% +0.9%
2004 22.2% +0.0%
2005 22.1% -0.5%
2006 21.9% -0.9%
2007 22.5% +2.7%
2008 22.2% -1.3%
2009 22.2% +0.0%
2010 22.3% +0.5%
2011 22.5% +0.9%
2012 22.5% +0.0%
2013 22.8% +1.3%
2014 22.7% -0.4%
2015 22.7% +0.0%
2016 22.7% +0.0%
2017 22.9% +0.9%
2018 22.7% -0.9%
2019 22.9% +0.9%
2020 22.9% +0.0%
2021 22.9% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 22.4% 22.3% 22.4% 2
1970s 22.5% 22.3% 22.8% 10
1980s 22.5% 22.1% 22.7% 10
1990s 22.4% 22.1% 22.7% 10
2000s 22.0% 21.2% 22.5% 10
2010s 22.7% 22.3% 22.9% 10
2020s 22.9% 22.9% 22.9% 2

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 18 Albania 23.0% compare
  2. 18 Palestine, State of 23.0% compare
  3. 20 Bosnia and Herzegovina 22.9% compare
  4. 20 Guinea 22.9% compare
  5. 20 Honduras 22.9% compare
  6. 20 Mauritania 22.9% compare

See the full ranking of 123 places →

More poverty & inequality data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 22.9% in 2021, 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 fourth 20% recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 22.9% in 2017.
What is the lowest income share held by fourth 20% recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2000.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for income share held by fourth 20%?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 20th out of 123 countries with data for 2021.
Is income share held by fourth 20% rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern 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 fourth 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Income share held by fourth 20% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/income-share-held-by-fourth-20-percent/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Income share held by fourth 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
123 places, 2,322 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.