Ever wondered how rich you are? How does your income compare with the average person in the UK, or with the rest of the world?
Two free calculators can tell you in a minute:
- How Rich Am I? (Giving What We Can): enter your household income and the number of adults and children you support, and it shows where you rank among everyone in the world. It also shows how far your money could go if you gave some of it to effective charities.
- Where Do You Fit In? (Institute for Fiscal Studies): shows where your household sits in the UK income distribution. It’s more detailed. You enter your household’s income after tax, the number of adults and children, your council tax and, if you want, your housing costs.
Try both. You may be surprised how little it takes to be among the richest people in the world.
How does your income compare in the UK?
Here are the latest official figures for the UK, from the Office for National Statistics’ household disposable income and inequality release for April 2024 to March 2025:
| Household group | Median disposable income |
|---|---|
| All households | £39,200 a year |
| Richest fifth | £77,000 a year |
| Poorest fifth | £18,300 a year |
Disposable income is what a household has left after tax and National Insurance, including any benefits. These are household figures, so a couple’s combined income counts, and the calculators above adjust for household size.
Income isn’t the same as wealth
These calculators measure income: what comes in each year. Wealth is what you own, such as savings, investments, pensions and property, minus your debts.
The two can be very different. A high earner who spends everything may have little wealth, while a retiree on a modest income may own a valuable home and pension.
For wealth, the ONS Wealth and Assets Survey (April 2020 to March 2022) found:
- The typical (median) household in Great Britain was worth £293,700, including pensions and property.
- A household needed £1,200,500 or more to be in the wealthiest 10%.
Want to move up the rankings? Start by tracking your spending and building a budget, then invest what you save.
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Pedro is passionate about finance, marketing, and technology. He is a growth manager at several online projects and a former digital marketer for a fintech company.
