Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in South Korea
South Korea: Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) was 14.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in South Korea, 1982–2022
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 14.1% for income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in 2022.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in South Korea peaked at 17.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 1996.
South Korea ranks 61st of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 7.0% | 5.6% | 8.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.4% | 6.7% | 14.8% | 4 |
| 2010s | 15.7% | 13.4% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.8% | 13.4% | 14.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More reference data data for South Korea
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7164 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.8996 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.1 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 135 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.9115 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.24 °C (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in South Korea?
- Income share of the richest 1% (before tax) in South Korea was 14.1% 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 17.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% (before tax) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 1996.
- How does South Korea rank for income share of the richest 1% (before tax)?
- South Korea ranks 61st out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is income share of the richest 1% (before tax) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Korea 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
The share of income received by the richest 1%. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.