Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in China
China: Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank was 12.6% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in China, 1980–2015
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 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in China is 12.6%, measured in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in China peaked at 14.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1980.
That places China 61st out of 109 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.7% | 6.7% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.5% | 8.3% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.1% | 10.5% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.1% | 12.5% | 14.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.66 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.0991 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.15 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.34 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.06 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in China?
- Income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in China was 12.6% in 2015, 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%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 14.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1980.
- How does China rank for income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank?
- China ranks 61st out of 109 countries with data for 2015.
- Is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China 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%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured after taxes and benefits.