Wealth share of the richest 1% in China
China: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 30.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Wealth share of the richest 1% in China, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 30.4% for wealth share of the richest 1% in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in China peaked at 38.6% in 1920 and was at its lowest, 15.8%, in 1950.
That places China 53rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 28.0% | — |
| 1850 | 30.1% | +7.7% |
| 1880 | 37.2% | +23.5% |
| 1900 | 37.5% | +0.8% |
| 1910 | 37.2% | -0.8% |
| 1920 | 38.6% | +3.5% |
| 1930 | 38.6% | -0.0% |
| 1940 | 31.4% | -18.4% |
| 1950 | 15.8% | -49.9% |
| 1960 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 15.8% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 15.8% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 15.8% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 15.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 15.8% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 15.9% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 17.0% | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 17.9% | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 18.6% | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 19.2% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 19.6% | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 20.4% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 20.5% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | +9.5% |
| 2005 | 23.7% | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 26.2% | +10.5% |
| 2007 | 28.5% | +8.7% |
| 2008 | 29.2% | +2.7% |
| 2009 | 31.1% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 30.4% | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 28.1% | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 27.3% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 27.2% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 27.8% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 29.6% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 29.6% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 30.1% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 30.0% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 30.3% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 30.7% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 30.4% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.4% | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 30.4% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27.2%, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 30.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.2%, 1.1× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% in China 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 | -49.9% | 31.4% | 15.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 28.0% | 28.0% | 28.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 30.1% | 30.1% | 30.1% | 1 |
| 1880s | 37.2% | 37.2% | 37.2% | 1 |
| 1900s | 37.5% | 37.5% | 37.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 37.2% | 37.2% | 37.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 38.6% | 38.6% | 38.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 38.6% | 38.6% | 38.6% | 1 |
| 1940s | 31.4% | 31.4% | 31.4% | 1 |
| 1950s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 1 |
| 1960s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 1 |
| 1970s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 3 |
| 1980s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.8% | 15.8% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.2% | 19.6% | 31.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.0% | 27.2% | 30.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.5% | 30.3% | 30.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wealth share of the richest 1% in China?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in China was 30.4% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 1920.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.8% in 1950.
- How does China rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- China ranks 53rd out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.