Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada
Canada: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 12.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada, 1920–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Canada recorded 12.1% for income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in 2022.
The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada peaked at 14.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 6.5%, in 1972.
That places Canada 81st out of 113 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 10.4% | — |
| 1930 | 11.8% | +13.2% |
| 1940 | 11.0% | -6.6% |
| 1950 | 7.8% | -28.6% |
| 1951 | 7.2% | -8.7% |
| 1952 | 7.1% | -1.5% |
| 1953 | 7.1% | +0.7% |
| 1954 | 7.5% | +5.3% |
| 1955 | 7.3% | -2.0% |
| 1956 | 6.9% | -5.6% |
| 1957 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 7.2% | +2.4% |
| 1959 | 7.1% | -1.3% |
| 1960 | 7.2% | +1.1% |
| 1961 | 7.3% | +1.7% |
| 1962 | 6.9% | -5.5% |
| 1963 | 6.7% | -2.6% |
| 1964 | 6.9% | +2.7% |
| 1965 | 6.7% | -2.3% |
| 1966 | 6.5% | -3.4% |
| 1967 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 6.6% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 6.6% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6.6% | +0.3% |
| 1971 | 6.5% | -2.0% |
| 1972 | 6.5% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 6.7% | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 6.7% | +0.1% |
| 1975 | 7.4% | +11.1% |
| 1976 | 6.8% | -7.8% |
| 1977 | 6.5% | -4.5% |
| 1978 | 6.7% | +2.6% |
| 1979 | 7.2% | +6.9% |
| 1980 | 7.6% | +6.1% |
| 1981 | 7.1% | -6.8% |
| 1982 | 7.0% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 7.4% | +5.4% |
| 1984 | 7.7% | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 7.8% | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 8.1% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 8.9% | +10.0% |
| 1989 | 9.5% | +6.9% |
| 1990 | 9.3% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 9.2% | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 9.2% | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 9.6% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 9.6% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 9.9% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 10.4% | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 11.1% | +7.1% |
| 1998 | 11.3% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 11.8% | +5.0% |
| 2000 | 12.7% | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 12.7% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 12.8% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 13.6% | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | +3.2% |
| 2006 | 14.2% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 13.5% | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 11.9% | -12.0% |
| 2010 | 12.3% | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 11.6% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 11.6% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 11.4% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 11.5% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 9.9% | -13.8% |
| 2017 | 10.5% | +6.4% |
| 2018 | 10.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10.4% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 11.6% | +9.7% |
| 2022 | 12.1% | +3.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 12.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -28.6% | 11.0% | 7.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 11.8% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 1 |
| 1940s | 11.0% | 11.0% | 11.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 7.2% | 6.9% | 7.8% | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.8% | 6.5% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.8% | 6.5% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.9% | 7.0% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.1% | 9.2% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.3% | 11.9% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.4% | 10.6% | 12.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada?
- Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Canada was 12.1% 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 1% (before tax) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 14.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5% in 1972.
- How does Canada rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- Canada ranks 81st out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada 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% (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%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.