Top 10 · economy
Top 10 countries by median income (before tax)
Pre-tax income of the adult exactly in the middle of the distribution. World Inequality Database data, each country's latest year, 2019–2024, covering 89 countries.
The top 10
1st of 89 · 2023
Luxembourg231,124 $ (PPP)/yr
- 2ndNorway108,450 $ (PPP)/yr
- 3rdSweden73,152 $ (PPP)/yr
- 4thSwitzerland72,645 $ (PPP)/yr
- 5thIreland71,932 $ (PPP)/yr
- 6thDenmark70,464 $ (PPP)/yr
- 7thIceland70,086 $ (PPP)/yr
- 8thNetherlands69,444 $ (PPP)/yr
- 9thAustria62,642 $ (PPP)/yr
- 10thAustralia60,516 $ (PPP)/yr
The other end · bottom 5 of 89
- 85thDR Congo1,923 $ (PPP)/yr
- 86thMadagascar1,906 $ (PPP)/yr
- 87thBurundi1,518 $ (PPP)/yr
- 88thCentral African Republic1,459 $ (PPP)/yr
- 89thMozambique1,099 $ (PPP)/yr
Where the big countries land
- 16thUnited States52,807 $ (PPP)/yr
- 47thChina16,162 $ (PPP)/yr
- 68thIndia5,786 $ (PPP)/yr
- 15thGermany53,712 $ (PPP)/yr
- 56thBrazil11,260 $ (PPP)/yr
Common questions
Questions people ask about median income (before tax)
Which country ranks highest for median income (before tax)?
Luxembourg ranks 1st of 89 countries at 231,124 $ (PPP)/yr (2023 data). Source: World Inequality Database.
Which countries are in the top 10 for median income (before tax)?
The top 10 are Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Austria and Australia — computed from World Inequality Database data, each country's latest year, 2019–2024.
Where does the United States rank in median income (before tax)?
The United States ranks 16th of 89 countries at 52,807 $ (PPP)/yr (2024 data). Source: World Inequality Database.
What is the median median income (before tax) worldwide?
Across the 89 countries covered, the median is 17,883 $ (PPP)/yr. Values run from 231,124 $ (PPP)/yr (Luxembourg, ranked 1st) to 1,099 $ (PPP)/yr (Mozambique, ranked 89th).
Is median income (before tax) higher in Europe or the US?
The median across 33 European countries is 46,785 $ (PPP)/yr, against 52,807 $ (PPP)/yr in the United States — it is higher in the US. Source: World Inequality Database.
Which country ranks lowest for median income (before tax)?
Mozambique sits at the other end of the list: 1,099 $ (PPP)/yr ranks 89th of 89 (2022 data). Source: World Inequality Database.
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More on economy
- Human development indexUNDP composite of health, education and income (0–1).
- GDP per capitaOutput per person, price-adjusted: states via BEA regional price parities, countries via PPP.
- Median income (after tax)Median equivalised household disposable income per person, USD PPP — what the middle household actually has to spend after taxes and transfers.
- PopulationResident population.
- Land areaLand area in square kilometres.
- Cost of livingOverall price level relative to the US average (100).
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Luxembourg leads on median income (before tax) — see where it lands on every other measure, and which US state it most resembles.
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