Wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany
Germany: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 27.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Germany recorded 27.9% for wealth share of the richest 1% in 2024.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany peaked at 54.0% in 1850 and was at its lowest, 21.5%, in 1969.
That places Germany 76th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 51.5% | — |
| 1850 | 54.0% | +4.9% |
| 1880 | 50.5% | -6.6% |
| 1895 | 49.9% | -1.1% |
| 1896 | 49.9% | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 50.6% | +1.5% |
| 1899 | 51.4% | +1.4% |
| 1900 | 52.0% | +1.2% |
| 1902 | 51.5% | -0.9% |
| 1905 | 51.9% | +0.8% |
| 1908 | 52.4% | +1.0% |
| 1910 | 50.8% | -3.2% |
| 1911 | 51.6% | +1.6% |
| 1914 | 49.8% | -3.5% |
| 1920 | 38.9% | -21.8% |
| 1924 | 37.5% | -3.6% |
| 1927 | 40.1% | +6.8% |
| 1930 | 39.3% | -1.9% |
| 1934 | 32.6% | -17.0% |
| 1940 | 36.7% | +12.6% |
| 1950 | 21.8% | -40.8% |
| 1953 | 22.0% | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 21.6% | -2.0% |
| 1960 | 25.3% | +17.3% |
| 1963 | 25.2% | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 24.6% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 21.5% | -12.4% |
| 1970 | 25.6% | +18.7% |
| 1972 | 23.0% | -9.9% |
| 1974 | 26.6% | +15.3% |
| 1977 | 26.8% | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 27.0% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 25.0% | -7.2% |
| 1982 | 24.4% | -2.5% |
| 1983 | 24.8% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 24.3% | -1.9% |
| 1985 | 23.9% | -1.8% |
| 1986 | 23.5% | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 22.7% | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 22.4% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 21.9% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 22.3% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 23.3% | +4.4% |
| 1993 | 24.4% | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 24.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 24.7% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 25.4% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 25.6% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 26.0% | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 27.1% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 26.6% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 26.2% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 26.4% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 26.6% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 27.4% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 27.9% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 28.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 28.7% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 28.9% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 27.7% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 27.3% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 27.1% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 26.6% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 27.0% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 27.6% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 27.7% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 27.9% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 27.8% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 28.5% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 28.0% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 27.5% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 28.0% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 27.9% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 27.7% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 27.9% | +0.5% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 27.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 27.5%, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Germany's 27.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 24.1%, 1.2× the median. (55 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany 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 | -40.8% | 36.7% | 21.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 51.5% | 51.5% | 51.5% | 1 |
| 1850s | 54.0% | 54.0% | 54.0% | 1 |
| 1880s | 50.5% | 50.5% | 50.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 50.4% | 49.9% | 51.4% | 4 |
| 1900s | 52.0% | 51.5% | 52.4% | 4 |
| 1910s | 50.7% | 49.8% | 51.6% | 3 |
| 1920s | 38.8% | 37.5% | 40.1% | 3 |
| 1930s | 36.0% | 32.6% | 39.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 36.7% | 36.7% | 36.7% | 1 |
| 1950s | 21.8% | 21.6% | 22.0% | 3 |
| 1960s | 24.1% | 21.5% | 25.3% | 4 |
| 1970s | 25.5% | 23.0% | 26.8% | 4 |
| 1980s | 24.1% | 22.4% | 27.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.5% | 21.9% | 27.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.4% | 26.2% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.6% | 26.6% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.8% | 27.5% | 28.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More reference data data for Germany
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 16.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 15.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 9.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 80.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.56 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in Germany was 27.9% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 54.0% in 1850.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.5% in 1969.
- How does Germany rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- Germany ranks 76th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.