Median income by country 2026: what the typical adult earns

The median adult earns $4,190 a year worldwide, $53,500 in the US and $48,900 in the UK. Median and average income in 77 countries.

Short answer: half of the world’s adults have a pre-tax income below $4,190 a year. In the United States the median adult has $53,500, in the United Kingdom $48,900, in Germany $43,900 and in Canada $46,200. The highest median is in Luxembourg ($195,000), followed by Norway ($102,000) and Iceland ($95,300); the lowest in Niger ($884).

The median is the income of the adult in the exact middle: half earn more, half earn less. It tells you much more about a typical person than the average, which a small number of very high incomes pull up.

Median and average income in 77 countries

The last column shows where a country’s median adult would rank among all adults in the world. The typical American is in the global top 7.3%; the typical adult in India is in the global bottom 27%.

Click a column to sort. US dollars at ECB rates of 2026-10-09; per adult (20+).

All figures are pre-tax income per adult aged 20 and over, from the WealthPercentile model based on the World Inequality Database. They include wages, self-employment income, pensions, benefits and capital income, with couples’ income split equally. US dollars at ECB exchange rates of 2026-10-09; the country pages show local currencies for most countries.

Why our median may differ from the one you have seen

You will find many different “median income” figures for the same country. The most common differences are:

• Household or person. Official figures often describe household income. A household with two earners has a much higher income than either adult alone. Our figures are per adult.
• Wages or all income. Wage statistics usually cover employees only, often just full-time workers. Our measure covers every adult, including students, part-time workers and retirees, and includes capital income.
• Before or after tax. We use pre-tax income. After-tax (disposable) income is lower, especially in countries with high taxes.
• Exchange rates or purchasing power. We convert at market exchange rates. Adjusted for local prices, incomes in lower-cost countries look higher. The calculator shows both.

None of these is wrong; they answer different questions. For the United States, United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, the calculator can also rank you against the official national income statistics. Here is why the two can differ.

How unequal is income around the middle?

The ratio of average to median income is a simple inequality gauge: the higher it is, the more the top pulls away from the typical earner.

• In Slovakia, Czechia and Sweden the average is only slightly above the median.
• In the United States the average ($96,500) is 1.8× the median.
• In South Africa (4.2×), Colombia (2.8×) and Mexico (2.6×) the average is two and a half times the median or more.
• Worldwide, the average income of $17,800 is 4.2× the median, because the gap between countries adds to the gaps within them.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median income in the US?

About $53,500 per adult before tax on this broad measure. The top 10% starts at $176,000 (top 10% by country). See also is $50,000 a good income in the US? and is $75,000 a good income?

What is the median income in the world?

About $4,190 a year per adult at market exchange rates. An income of $10,000 a year already puts you in the top 33% of the world’s adults (details).

Which country has the highest median income?

Luxembourg, then Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. Among the largest economies, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany have the highest medians.

What counts as a middle income?

A common definition is 75% to 200% of the national median. We calculate that range for every country in what income is middle class?