Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in China
China: Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) was 14.0% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in China, 1979–2015
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2015, income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China stood at 14.0%.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China peaked at 15.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 1979.
That places China 63rd out of 113 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6.6% | — |
| 1980 | 6.6% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 6.9% | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 7.1% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 7.3% | +2.5% |
| 1984 | 7.7% | +4.7% |
| 1985 | 8.2% | +7.5% |
| 1986 | 8.2% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 8.0% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 8.2% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 8.4% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 8.2% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 8.5% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 8.9% | +5.1% |
| 1993 | 9.3% | +4.9% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 9.4% | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 9.7% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 9.7% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 10.0% | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 10.1% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 10.5% | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 11.0% | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 12.7% | +15.4% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +4.6% |
| 2004 | 14.0% | +5.3% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 14.9% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 15.3% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 15.6% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 15.2% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 13.9% | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 13.9% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 13.8% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 14.0% | +1.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 14.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 16.6%, 84% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- China's 14.0% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 16.1%, 87% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1980s | 7.7% | 6.6% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 10.5% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.8% | 15.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More poverty & inequality data for China
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,418 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0.5767 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 22.1 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 22.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China?
- Income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China was 14.0% in 2015, 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% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 1979.
- How does China rank for income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- China ranks 63rd out of 113 countries with data for 2015.
- Is income share of the richest 1% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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% vs. Gini coefficient (before 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 before taxes and benefits.