China vs Germany: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax)
China
14.0%
in 2015
Germany
13.3%
in 2022
China rank
63rd
Germany rank
65th
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) over time
- China
- Germany
How they compare
China currently reports 14.0% against 13.3% in Germany, a difference of 0.7%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1981 it was Germany ahead.
China ranks 63rd and Germany ranks 65th of 113 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.8% | 10.1% | 2.3% | Germany |
| 1990s | 9.3% | 10.0% | 0.6% | Germany |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 11.6% | 2.1% | China |
| 2010s | 14.3% | 13.0% | 1.3% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher income share of the richest 1% (before tax), China or Germany?
- China, at 14.0% against 13.3% in Germany as of 2015.
- What is the difference in income share of the richest 1% (before tax) between China and Germany?
- 0.7%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Germany?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2015.
- How do China and Germany rank globally for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- China ranks 63rd and Germany ranks 65th of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Income share of the richest 1% (before tax). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.