Last updated November 24, 2024
In an ever-evolving global economy, understanding the distribution of median income across countries can shed light on economic opportunities, standard of living, and purchasing power. The term "Median Income" refers to the income amount that divides a nation's income distribution into two equal groups – half having income above that amount and the other half having income below that amount. It's a valuable indicator of a country's economic health and wealth distribution.
Luxembourg enjoys the highest median income globally, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Norway. Conversely, DR Congo and Madagascar have some of the lowest median incomes, highlighting vast disparities between nations. The United States ranks within the top five, evidencing its relatively high standard of living.
Key Findings:
The ten countries with the highest median income are Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, Norway, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Austria, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Luxembourg has the highest median income, amounting to $26,321 annually. The United Arab Emirates comes next with a median income of $24,292 annually. The third on the list is Norway, with a median income of $22,684, closely followed by Switzerland, with $21,490.
The United States is the fifth highest country on the list, with its citizens earning a median income of $19,306 annually. In Canada, the median income is slightly lower, at $18,652, and Austria follows with a median income of $18,405. Sweden, on the other hand, has a median income of $17,625 annually.
Finally, rounding out the top ten are Denmark and the Netherlands, with median incomes of $17,432 and $17,154, respectively.
10 Countries with the Highest Median Income:
The ten countries with the lowest median income are DR Congo, Madagascar, Burundi, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Zambia, Uzbekistan, and Rwanda. DR Congo reports the lowest median income with $395 per year. Madagascar, slightly above DR Congo, has a median income of $398 per year. Burundi is next with a median income of $475 per year. Malawi follows closely behind with a median income of $484 while Guinea-Bissau reports a median income of $486 per year.
The Central African Republic has a yearly median income of $491. On the other hand, Mozambique has a median income of $529 per year. Zambia and Uzbekistan report slightly higher yearly median incomes of $545 and $591, respectively. Completing the list, Rwanda has a yearly median income of $621.
Countries with the lowest median income:
Region ↕ | Median Income↕ |
---|---|
$2,578 | |
$2,612 | |
$665 | |
$5,319 | |
$2,216 | |
$17,076 | |
$18,405 | |
$3,193 | |
$1,131 | |
$6,507 | |
$16,157 | |
$1,927 | |
$699 | |
$2,446 | |
$3,631 | |
$5,925 | |
$1,596 | |
$4,559 | |
$5,696 | |
$748 | |
$475 | |
$1,245 | |
$18,652 | |
$491 | |
$880 | |
$6,293 | |
$3,259 | |
$1,401 | |
$5,457 | |
$7,196 | |
$13,053 | |
$10,046 | |
$395 | |
$17,432 | |
$1,403 | |
$4,060 | |
$3,525 | |
$1,485 | |
$3,095 | |
$10,651 | |
$1,097 | |
$907 | |
$2,460 | |
$16,332 | |
$16,372 | |
$2,779 | |
$1,383 | |
$2,273 | |
$16,845 | |
$1,779 | |
$6,936 | |
$2,036 | |
$843 | |
$486 | |
$2,003 | |
$1,162 | |
$1,959 | |
$7,684 | |
$17,017 | |
$4,360 | |
$1,951 | |
$14,520 | |
$10,866 | |
$13,170 | |
$987 | |
$2,899 | |
$14,255 | |
$3,185 | |
$3,661 | |
$874 | |
$1,489 | |
$1,892 | |
$1,065 | |
$7,971 | |
$7,712 | |
$1,157 | |
$753 | |
$8,267 | |
$26,321 | |
$398 | |
$484 | |
$7,512 | |
$5,409 | |
$689 | |
$14,543 | |
$1,760 | |
$3,832 | |
$3,315 | |
$1,413 | |
$3,133 | |
$2,800 | |
$4,193 | |
$2,716 | |
$529 | |
$1,909 | |
$1,962 | |
$1,155 | |
$17,154 | |
$2,697 | |
$738 | |
$825 | |
$3,857 | |
$22,684 | |
$1,399 | |
$6,254 | |
$876 | |
$4,334 | |
$3,678 | |
$1,581 | |
$8,885 | |
$8,439 | |
$892 | |
$5,206 | |
$5,504 | |
$621 | |
$4,519 | |
$2,537 | |
$901 | |
$844 | |
$4,416 | |
$5,314 | |
$765 | |
$7,991 | |
$11,878 | |
$1,028 | |
$1,624 | |
$12,507 | |
$793 | |
$11,786 | |
$2,277 | |
$1,277 | |
$1,659 | |
$17,625 | |
$21,490 | |
$1,996 | |
$13,605 | |
$1,994 | |
$702 | |
$4,356 | |
$970 | |
$683 | |
$2,782 | |
$2,868 | |
$3,366 | |
$5,251 | |
$706 | |
$2,099 | |
$804 | |
$4,434 | |
$24,292 | |
$14,793 | |
$19,306 | |
$7,533 | |
$591 | |
$1,379 | |
$2,710 | |
$3,149 | |
$1,150 | |
$545 | |
$932 |