Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark
Denmark: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 12.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark, 1981–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark stood at 12.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark peaked at 13.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1981.
Denmark ranks 73rd of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 6.7% | — |
| 1982 | 6.9% | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 8.3% | +20.2% |
| 1984 | 9.1% | +9.1% |
| 1985 | 9.7% | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 8.7% | -10.0% |
| 1987 | 8.5% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 8.1% | -5.6% |
| 1989 | 8.4% | +4.0% |
| 1990 | 8.4% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 8.3% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 8.4% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 8.4% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 9.4% | +11.3% |
| 1995 | 9.5% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 9.8% | +2.8% |
| 1997 | 10.7% | +8.9% |
| 1998 | 10.5% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 11.6% | +10.8% |
| 2000 | 11.8% | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 10.3% | -13.0% |
| 2002 | 9.8% | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 9.4% | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 10.0% | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 11.2% | +12.6% |
| 2006 | 11.7% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 11.2% | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 10.6% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 9.7% | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 11.6% | +20.1% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 12.0% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 13.1% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 12.9% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 13.0% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 12.4% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 12.6% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 12.6% | +0.2% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 12.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.8%, 1.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 12.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.8%, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.3% | 6.7% | 9.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 9.5% | 8.3% | 11.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 9.4% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.5% | 11.6% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.4% | 12.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More reference data data for Denmark
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1915 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4109 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.99 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark?
- Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in Denmark was 12.6% 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 13.1% in 2014.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1981.
- How does Denmark rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- Denmark ranks 73rd out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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.