Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand
New Zealand: Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) was 35.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
35.0%
Change on year
down 8.3%
World rank
89th
of 113 countries
All-time high
53.7%
in 1930
All-time low
31.1%
in 1987
Years of data
102
1921–2022
Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand, 1921–2022
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 New Zealand is 35.0%, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 8.3% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand peaked at 53.7% in 1930 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 1987.
New Zealand ranks 89th of 113 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 102 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 10% vs. Gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1921 | 50.5% | — |
| 1922 | 47.1% | -6.7% |
| 1923 | 48.9% | +4.0% |
| 1924 | 48.7% | -0.5% |
| 1925 | 50.2% | +3.0% |
| 1926 | 50.9% | +1.4% |
| 1927 | 50.8% | -0.2% |
| 1928 | 51.3% | +1.0% |
| 1929 | 51.9% | +1.1% |
| 1930 | 53.7% | +3.5% |
| 1931 | 53.7% | -0.1% |
| 1932 | 53.6% | -0.1% |
| 1933 | 53.6% | -0.1% |
| 1934 | 53.3% | -0.6% |
| 1935 | 51.1% | -4.1% |
| 1936 | 49.5% | -3.2% |
| 1937 | 43.8% | -11.4% |
| 1938 | 40.2% | -8.2% |
| 1939 | 42.9% | +6.6% |
| 1940 | 41.5% | -3.3% |
| 1941 | 40.6% | -2.1% |
| 1942 | 39.8% | -2.1% |
| 1943 | 38.9% | -2.2% |
| 1944 | 38.0% | -2.2% |
| 1945 | 37.1% | -2.3% |
| 1946 | 39.7% | +6.8% |
| 1947 | 41.3% | +4.2% |
| 1948 | 41.8% | +1.1% |
| 1949 | 42.8% | +2.4% |
| 1950 | 45.4% | +6.1% |
| 1951 | 42.4% | -6.6% |
| 1952 | 43.4% | +2.4% |
| 1953 | 43.4% | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 42.8% | -1.4% |
| 1955 | 41.3% | -3.5% |
| 1956 | 42.3% | +2.3% |
| 1957 | 41.1% | -2.8% |
| 1958 | 38.6% | -6.0% |
| 1959 | 39.5% | +2.2% |
| 1960 | 38.9% | -1.4% |
| 1961 | 38.8% | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 38.7% | -0.4% |
| 1963 | 38.7% | +0.1% |
| 1964 | 39.1% | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 37.6% | -3.9% |
| 1966 | 37.2% | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 37.4% | +0.6% |
| 1968 | 37.7% | +0.7% |
| 1969 | 37.6% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 37.3% | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 37.3% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 38.3% | +2.7% |
| 1973 | 38.9% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 37.5% | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 34.3% | -8.6% |
| 1976 | 36.6% | +6.9% |
| 1977 | 33.5% | -8.4% |
| 1978 | 33.4% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 32.5% | -2.6% |
| 1980 | 32.7% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 32.5% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 33.0% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 34.6% | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 33.8% | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 32.6% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 31.3% | -4.0% |
| 1987 | 31.1% | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 31.7% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 34.1% | +7.6% |
| 1990 | 36.9% | +8.2% |
| 1991 | 35.6% | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 36.9% | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 37.8% | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 37.9% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 37.8% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 36.5% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 37.7% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 39.5% | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 40.3% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 37.2% | -7.7% |
| 2001 | 38.2% | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 37.1% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 37.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 40.9% | +10.2% |
| 2005 | 36.7% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 31.8% | -13.5% |
| 2007 | 32.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 34.8% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 37.7% | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 41.3% | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 38.7% | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 34.5% | -10.8% |
| 2013 | 33.8% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 33.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 33.2% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 32.8% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 33.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 31.9% | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 34.0% | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 36.2% | +6.5% |
| 2021 | 38.1% | +5.4% |
| 2022 | 35.0% | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 50.0% | 47.1% | 51.9% | 9 |
| 1930s | 49.5% | 40.2% | 53.7% | 10 |
| 1940s | 40.1% | 37.1% | 42.8% | 10 |
| 1950s | 42.0% | 38.6% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 38.2% | 37.2% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 36.0% | 32.5% | 38.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.7% | 31.1% | 34.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.7% | 35.6% | 40.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 36.4% | 31.8% | 40.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 31.9% | 41.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.4% | 35.0% | 38.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More poverty & inequality data for New Zealand
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.67 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 9,102 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 7.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.71 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.082 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 24.9% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand?
- Income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) in New Zealand was 35.0% in 2022, 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 53.7% in 1930.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 1987.
- How does New Zealand rank for income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax)?
- New Zealand ranks 89th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is income share of the richest 10% vs. gini coefficient (before tax) rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.