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Median Income by Country 2024
Median income is a metric used to identify the midpoint of a given nation’s income distribution. Half of a country’s residents earn an income that is higher than the median, while the other half earn an income that falls below the median. Because median is slightly different from an average, or mean, it is also slightly more insulated against extreme "outlier" values that could throw off the accuracy of a statistic. For example, consider the following sample group of people and their incomes:
- Mike - $30,000
- Ahmed - $40,000
- Stephanie - $50,000
- Midori - $40,000
- Contessa - $25,000
- Gary - $55,000
- Jordan - $1,000,000
Thanks to Jordan's unusually high salary, the average, or mean, of all these incomes is $177,142, which is wildly inaccurate for all seven people listed. However, the median (also called "typical") income is $40,000, which is fairly accurate for everyone but Jordan.
World Bank tracks a number of income- and poverty-related metrics, including GDP per capita, GNI per capita, GINI coefficient per country, and median income. As of March 2021, the 10 countries with the highest median incomes ranked are below. Note that these amounts are in current "international dollars", which is a theoretical dollar often used in country-to-country comparisons. International dollars are not equivalent to U.S. dollars, or euros, or any other real-world currency.
10 Countries with the Highest Median Income, March 2021 (PPP, Current Int$):
Country | Median Income 2020 |
|---|---|
| Luxembourg | $26,321 |
| United Arab Emirates | $24,292 |
| Norway | $22,684 |
| Switzerland | $21,490 |
| United States | $19,306 |
| Canada | $18,652 |
| Austria | $18,405 |
| Sweden | $17,625 |
| Denmark | $17,432 |
| Netherlands | $17,154 |
10 Countries with the Lowest Median Income, March 2021 (PPP, Current Int$):
Country | Median Income 2020 |
|---|---|
| DR Congo | $395 |
| Madagascar | $398 |
| Burundi | $475 |
| Malawi | $484 |
| Guinea Bissau | $486 |
| Central African Republic | $491 |
| Mozambique | $529 |
| Zambia | $545 |
| Uzbekistan | $591 |
| Rwanda | $621 |
According to 2013 data from Gallup, the median household income worldwide was $9,733 (PPP, Current Int$). Countries with the lowest median income included Libera, Burundi, Mali, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, and Madagascar. This data was based on self-reported data that was gathered between 2006 and 2012.
- All values have been rounded to the nearest international dollar.
- The international dollar is a hypothetical currency often used in country-to-country financial comparisons.
- Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is a monetary conversion rate used to enable country-to-country comparisons of economic indicators.
Country | Median Income 2020 (Int $) | Mean Income 2020 (Int $) | GDP PPP (Int $) | GDP PPP Data Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg | $26,321 | $31,376 | $143,342 | 2023 |
| United Arab Emirates | $24,292 | $27,107 | $83,903 | 2023 |
| Norway | $22,684 | $25,272 | $104,460 | 2023 |
| Switzerland | $21,490 | $25,787 | $92,980 | 2023 |
| United States | $19,306 | $25,332 | $81,695 | 2023 |
| Canada | $18,652 | $22,042 | $61,582 | 2023 |
| Austria | $18,405 | $20,718 | $73,751 | 2023 |
| Sweden | $17,625 | $20,193 | $70,207 | 2023 |
| Denmark | $17,432 | $20,304 | $76,688 | 2023 |
| Netherlands | $17,154 | $19,690 | $78,215 | 2023 |
| Australia | $17,076 | $21,329 | $69,115 | 2023 |
| Iceland | $17,017 | $19,300 | $77,567 | 2023 |
| Germany | $16,845 | $19,730 | $69,338 | 2023 |
| France | $16,372 | $19,409 | $61,157 | 2023 |
| Finland | $16,332 | $18,742 | $65,061 | 2023 |
| Belgium | $16,157 | $17,917 | $70,456 | 2023 |
| United Kingdom | $14,793 | $18,133 | $58,906 | 2023 |
| Malta | $14,543 | $16,509 | $62,446 | 2023 |
| Ireland | $14,520 | $17,938 | $127,623 | 2023 |
| Japan | $14,255 | $17,095 | $50,207 | 2023 |
| Taiwan | $13,605 | $16,355 | ||
| Italy | $13,170 | $15,547 | $58,755 | 2023 |
| Cyprus | $13,053 | $15,663 | $57,101 | 2023 |
| South Korea | $12,507 | $14,316 | $54,033 | 2023 |
| Slovenia | $11,878 | $13,056 | $54,948 | 2023 |
| Spain | $11,786 | $13,822 | $52,779 | 2023 |
| Israel | $10,866 | $13,271 | $53,434 | 2023 |
| Estonia | $10,651 | $12,540 | $48,992 | 2023 |
| Czech Republic | $10,046 | $11,394 | $53,817 | 2023 |
| Poland | $8,885 | $10,155 | $49,464 | 2023 |
| Portugal | $8,439 | $10,316 | $48,759 | 2023 |
| Lithuania | $8,267 | $10,479 | $51,877 | 2023 |
| Slovakia | $7,991 | $8,408 | $54,948 | 2023 |
| Latvia | $7,971 | $9,727 | $42,501 | 2023 |
| Lebanon | $7,712 | $9,091 | $12,853 | 2022 |
| Hungary | $7,684 | $8,613 | $45,942 | 2023 |
| Uruguay | $7,533 | $9,888 | $34,062 | 2023 |
| Malaysia | $7,512 | $10,200 | $37,248 | 2023 |
| Croatia | $7,196 | $8,008 | $45,910 | 2023 |
| Greece | $6,936 | $8,131 | $41,187 | 2023 |
| Belarus | $6,507 | $7,359 | $30,752 | 2023 |
| Chile | $6,293 | $9,304 | $33,285 | 2023 |
| Panama | $6,254 | $9,453 | $39,695 | 2023 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | $5,925 | $7,131 | $22,846 | 2023 |
| Bulgaria | $5,696 | $7,474 | $38,690 | 2023 |
| Russia | $5,504 | $7,275 | $44,104 | 2023 |
| Costa Rica | $5,457 | $8,440 | $27,953 | 2023 |
| Maldives | $5,409 | $6,435 | $24,809 | 2023 |
| Argentina | $5,319 | $6,935 | $29,363 | 2023 |
| Seychelles | $5,314 | $8,044 | $32,694 | 2023 |
| Turkey | $5,251 | $7,267 | $44,151 | 2023 |
| Romania | $5,206 | $5,949 | $47,903 | 2023 |
| Brazil | $4,559 | $7,654 | $20,584 | 2023 |
| Saint Lucia | $4,519 | $6,946 | $25,129 | 2023 |
| Ukraine | $4,434 | $5,010 | $18,008 | 2023 |
| Serbia | $4,416 | $5,252 | $27,402 | 2023 |
| Iran | $4,360 | $5,924 | $17,922 | 2023 |
| Thailand | $4,356 | $5,670 | $23,423 | 2023 |
| Paraguay | $4,334 | $6,373 | $17,466 | 2023 |
| Montenegro | $4,193 | $5,123 | $31,216 | 2023 |
| Dominican Republic | $4,060 | $5,873 | $25,611 | 2023 |
| North Macedonia | $3,857 | $4,279 | $24,873 | 2023 |
| Mauritius | $3,832 | $4,969 | $29,499 | 2023 |
| Peru | $3,678 | $4,977 | $16,717 | 2023 |
| Kazakhstan | $3,661 | $4,313 | $39,333 | 2023 |
| Bolivia | $3,631 | $4,787 | $10,727 | 2023 |
| Ecuador | $3,525 | $5,046 | $15,870 | 2023 |
| Tunisia | $3,366 | $4,076 | $13,682 | 2023 |
| Mexico | $3,315 | $4,929 | $25,602 | 2023 |
| Palestine | $3,275 | $3,964 | $5,888 | 2023 |
| Colombia | $3,259 | $5,201 | $21,548 | 2023 |
| Jordan | $3,185 | $4,025 | $10,452 | 2023 |
| Vietnam | $3,149 | $3,881 | $15,194 | 2023 |
| Moldova | $3,133 | $3,590 | $17,384 | 2023 |
| El Salvador | $3,095 | $3,989 | $12,542 | 2023 |
| Jamaica | $2,899 | $4,429 | $11,475 | 2023 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | $2,868 | $3,711 | $31,572 | 2023 |
| Mongolia | $2,800 | $3,409 | $18,108 | 2023 |
| Tonga | $2,782 | $3,677 | $7,016 | 2022 |
| Gabon | $2,779 | $3,544 | $21,947 | 2023 |
| Morocco | $2,716 | $3,721 | $9,743 | 2023 |
| Venezuela | $2,710 | $3,741 | ||
| Nicaragua | $2,697 | $3,913 | $8,044 | 2023 |
| Algeria | $2,612 | $2,996 | $17,027 | 2023 |
| Albania | $2,578 | $3,141 | $21,395 | 2023 |
| Samoa | $2,537 | $3,418 | $6,681 | 2023 |
| Fiji | $2,460 | $3,261 | $15,047 | 2023 |
| Bhutan | $2,446 | $3,189 | $15,022 | 2022 |
| Cape Verde | $2,354 | $3,326 | $9,086 | 2023 |
| Sri Lanka | $2,277 | $3,162 | $14,455 | 2023 |
| Georgia | $2,273 | $2,814 | $24,681 | 2023 |
| Armenia | $2,216 | $2,810 | $23,055 | 2023 |
| Tuvalu | $2,099 | $2,802 | $5,764 | 2023 |
| Guatemala | $2,036 | $3,103 | $14,067 | 2023 |
| Guyana | $2,003 | $2,729 | $55,263 | 2023 |
| Syria | $1,996 | $2,606 | $2,915 | 2021 |
| Tajikistan | $1,994 | $2,437 | $5,082 | 2023 |
| Namibia | $1,962 | $4,023 | $12,757 | 2023 |
| Honduras | $1,959 | $3,109 | $7,211 | 2023 |
| Iraq | $1,951 | $2,293 | $13,969 | 2023 |
| Belize | $1,927 | $3,246 | $14,195 | 2023 |
| Myanmar | $1,909 | $2,296 | $5,905 | 2023 |
| Kyrgyzstan | $1,892 | $2,235 | $7,103 | 2023 |
| Ghana | $1,779 | $2,422 | $7,466 | 2023 |
| Mauritania | $1,760 | $2,094 | $6,934 | 2023 |
| Suriname | $1,659 | $2,593 | $21,047 | 2023 |
| South Africa | $1,624 | $4,081 | $15,847 | 2023 |
| Botswana | $1,596 | $2,907 | $19,383 | 2023 |
| Philippines | $1,581 | $2,199 | $10,756 | 2023 |
| Kiribati | $1,489 | $1,858 | $3,522 | 2023 |
| Egypt | $1,485 | $1,847 | $18,817 | 2023 |
| Micronesia | $1,413 | $1,858 | $4,217 | 2023 |
| Djibouti | $1,403 | $1,869 | $7,204 | 2023 |
| Comoros | $1,401 | $2,050 | $3,855 | 2023 |
| Pakistan | $1,399 | $1,797 | $6,212 | 2023 |
| Azerbaijan | $1,393 | $3,851 | $23,686 | 2023 |
| Gambia | $1,383 | $1,784 | $3,163 | 2023 |
| Vanuatu | $1,379 | $1,781 | $3,315 | 2023 |
| Sudan | $1,277 | $1,592 | $3,137 | 2023 |
| Cameroon | $1,245 | $1,841 | $5,380 | 2023 |
| Haiti | $1,162 | $1,540 | $3,256 | 2023 |
| Lesotho | $1,157 | $1,659 | $2,794 | 2023 |
| Nepal | $1,155 | $1,428 | $5,182 | 2023 |
| Yemen | $1,150 | $1,503 | ||
| Bangladesh | $1,131 | $1,414 | $9,066 | 2023 |
| Eswatini | $1,097 | $2,091 | $11,741 | 2023 |
| Laos | $1,065 | $1,389 | $9,326 | 2023 |
| Solomon Islands | $1,028 | $1,333 | $3,035 | 2023 |
| Ivory Coast | $987 | $1,358 | $7,791 | 2023 |
| Timor Leste | $970 | $1,147 | $5,109 | 2023 |
| Zimbabwe | $932 | $1,429 | $3,900 | 2023 |
| Ethiopia | $907 | $1,107 | $3,109 | 2023 |
| Sao Tome and Principe | $901 | $1,620 | $6,064 | 2023 |
| Republic of the Congo | $892 | $1,375 | $6,933 | 2023 |
| Chad | $880 | $1,182 | $1,969 | 2023 |
| Papua New Guinea | $876 | $1,162 | $4,607 | 2023 |
| Kenya | $874 | $1,197 | $6,324 | 2023 |
| Senegal | $844 | $1,137 | $4,833 | 2023 |
| Guinea | $843 | $1,036 | $4,429 | 2023 |
| Nigeria | $825 | $1,021 | $6,318 | 2023 |
| Uganda | $804 | $1,166 | $3,098 | 2023 |
| South Sudan | $793 | $1,121 | $1,146 | 2015 |
| Sierra Leone | $765 | $1,004 | $1,847 | 2023 |
| Liberia | $753 | $945 | $1,819 | 2023 |
| Burkina Faso | $748 | $1,002 | $2,727 | 2023 |
| Niger | $738 | $937 | $1,817 | 2023 |
| Turkmenistan | $706 | $963 | $17,100 | 2019 |
| Tanzania | $702 | $992 | $3,973 | 2023 |
| Benin | $699 | $989 | $4,248 | 2023 |
| Mali | $689 | $861 | $2,726 | 2023 |
| Togo | $683 | $964 | $3,155 | 2023 |
| Angola | $665 | $1,066 | $8,041 | 2023 |
| Rwanda | $621 | $925 | $3,361 | 2023 |
| Uzbekistan | $591 | $752 | $9,725 | 2023 |
| Zambia | $545 | $1,045 | $4,126 | 2023 |
| Mozambique | $529 | $947 | $1,657 | 2023 |
| Central African Republic | $491 | $891 | $1,130 | 2023 |
| Guinea Bissau | $486 | $797 | $2,630 | 2023 |
| Malawi | $484 | $733 | $1,868 | 2023 |
| Burundi | $475 | $640 | $951 | 2023 |
| Madagascar | $398 | $567 | $1,875 | 2023 |
| DR Congo | $395 | $548 | $1,671 | 2023 |
| India | $1,314 | $10,176 | 2023 | |
| China | $4,246 | $24,558 | 2023 | |
| Indonesia | $2,510 | $15,613 | 2023 |
Which country has the highest median income?
As of March 2020, Luxembourg has the highest median income of $26,321 per person.
Which country has the lowest median income?
As of March 2020, DR Congo has the lowest median income of $395 per person.
- Measuring Global Inequality: Median Income, GDP per Capita, and the GINI Index - Giving What We Can
- GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) - World Bank
- Online analysis tool for global poverty monitoring - World Bank/PovcalNet
- Indicators - World Bank
- Worldwide, Median Household Income About $10,000 - Gallup