Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in China
China: Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) was 41.8% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 10% 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
The most recent figure for income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China is 41.8%, measured in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China peaked at 43.2% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 28.0%, in 1979.
That places China 67th 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 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 28.0% | — |
| 1980 | 28.1% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 28.5% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | +1.4% |
| 1983 | 29.0% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 29.4% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 30.3% | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 30.5% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 30.4% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 30.7% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 31.3% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 31.0% | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 31.6% | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 32.8% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 34.0% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 34.5% | +1.3% |
| 1995 | 34.0% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 34.0% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 34.1% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 34.4% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 34.9% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 36.0% | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 36.8% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 39.8% | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 40.6% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 41.3% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 42.3% | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 42.5% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 42.8% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 42.8% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 42.7% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 43.0% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 43.2% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 41.8% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 42.5% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 41.7% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 41.8% | +0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 41.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 45.6%, 92% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- China's 41.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 44.6%, 94% of the median. (14 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 28.0% | 28.0% | 28.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 29.7% | 28.1% | 31.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.5% | 31.0% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.8% | 36.0% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.3% | 41.7% | 43.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 65 Estonia 42.3% compare
- 66 Guinea-Bissau 42.1% compare
- 68 Kazakhstan 41.2% compare
- 69 Romania 41.1% compare
- 70 Tajikistan 40.7% compare
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 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China?
- Income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in China was 41.8% 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 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 43.2% in 2011.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.0% in 1979.
- How does China rank for income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- China ranks 67th out of 113 countries with data for 2015.
- Is income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. 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 10% 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 10% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.