Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 11.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
11.7%
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
61st
of 130 countries
All-time high
13.5%
in 1993
All-time low
4.4%
in 1968
Years of data
54
1968–2021
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom, 1968–2021
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2021, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom stood at 11.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.6% on the previous year and up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom peaked at 13.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 1968.
That places United Kingdom 61st out of 130 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 4.4% | — |
| 1969 | 5.2% | +18.2% |
| 1970 | 4.8% | -7.7% |
| 1971 | 6.4% | +33.3% |
| 1972 | 7.3% | +14.1% |
| 1973 | 5.3% | -27.4% |
| 1974 | 6.3% | +18.9% |
| 1975 | 6.1% | -3.2% |
| 1976 | 6.0% | -1.6% |
| 1977 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 7.0% | +16.7% |
| 1979 | 6.0% | -14.3% |
| 1980 | 7.0% | +16.7% |
| 1981 | 8.2% | +17.1% |
| 1982 | 8.5% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 8.4% | -1.2% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | +3.6% |
| 1985 | 9.0% | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 10.2% | +13.3% |
| 1987 | 10.8% | +5.9% |
| 1988 | 10.2% | -5.6% |
| 1989 | 11.1% | +8.8% |
| 1990 | 12.1% | +9.0% |
| 1991 | 12.1% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 13.1% | +8.3% |
| 1993 | 13.5% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 12.7% | -5.9% |
| 1995 | 12.5% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 12.8% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 13.0% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 12.8% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 12.4% | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 12.1% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 12.0% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11.6% | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 12.4% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 12.9% | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 11.9% | -6.3% |
| 2010 | 11.2% | -5.9% |
| 2011 | 11.5% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 11.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 11.8% | +6.3% |
| 2015 | 11.9% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 12.2% | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 12.5% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 13.0% | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | -12.3% |
| 2021 | 11.7% | +2.6% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 11.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 11.7%, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 11.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.0%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.8% | 4.4% | 5.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 6.1% | 4.8% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.2% | 7.0% | 11.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 12.1% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 11.6% | 12.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.9% | 11.1% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 11.4% | 11.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More infrastructure data for United Kingdom
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 84.10 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 121.64 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 23.77 million (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 34.38 per 100 people (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.3431 units per person (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -11.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 23.77 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 1.21 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in United Kingdom was 11.7% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1993.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 1968.
- How does United Kingdom rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- United Kingdom ranks 61st out of 130 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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