This line graph compares the income earned by the top one percent of the population in seven different countries from 1975 to 2015. The data is presented in terms of percentiles. Overall, while there were fluctuations over the years, all countries experienced an upward trend, albeit with varying degrees of growth. Notably, the income share in the USA was the largest among the listed countries, while France had the smallest share.
In 1975, nearly 7% of the total income earned by the US population was attributed to the top one percent. This figure rose significantly, eventually surpassing Germany, and reached 18% by the end of the period. Meanwhile, Germany, the UK, and Canada followed a similar trend, starting off at levels between 8% and 10%. These trends saw a slight decline initially, but then rebounded, peaking at just under 15%.
In terms of other countries, France, Italy, and Japan displayed a similar upward trajectory. Although there was an initial decline from 7% to 5%, by 1990 these countries had recovered to their original income levels. There was a minimal increase in income share in these countries until they reached a peak of around 8% by 2010.