Wealth Inequality in the UK: The Data

Wealth in Great Britain is concentrated at the top: the wealthiest 1% of households held around 10% of all household wealth, the same share as the least wealthy 50% of households combined, in the period April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, Household total wealth in Great Britain, April 2020 to March 2022).

The figures on this page come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Wealth and Assets Survey and related official releases. They describe Great Britain, which does not include Northern Ireland, and the wealth estimates cover the two years to March 2022. Where a tax figure is quoted it is current as at July 2026 and subject to change. Statistics are attributed at the point of use so each number can be checked against its source.

The headline picture

Median household wealth in Great Britain was £293,700 including private pensions, and £181,700 once pensions are excluded, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). The gap between the middle and the top is wide, and wealth is spread far less evenly than earnings, which shapes who may face inheritance tax.

Two figures capture the concentration. To reach the wealthiest 10% of households, total wealth of £1,200,500 or more was needed, while the least wealthy 10% held £16,500 or less, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). The overall Gini coefficient for wealth, where 0 is complete equality and 1 is complete concentration, was 0.59 over the same period (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022).

Key figures at a glance

The table below gathers the main wealth-distribution statistics for Great Britain, each with its source and reference period. Every row draws on the ONS Wealth and Assets Survey for April 2020 to March 2022, except the income comparison, which uses a separate ONS income release for the financial year ending 2024. Figures are subject to revision.

Measure	Figure	Source (reference period)
Median household wealth (incl. pensions)	£293,700	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Median household wealth (excl. pensions)	£181,700	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Wealth to reach the wealthiest 10%	£1,200,500 or more	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Wealth of the least wealthy 10%	£16,500 or less	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Share of all wealth held by the wealthiest 1%	10%	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Share of all wealth held by the least wealthy 50%	10%	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Gini coefficient, total wealth	0.59	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Gini coefficient, financial wealth	0.87	ONS WAS, Apr 2020 to Mar 2022
Gini coefficient, disposable income (for comparison)	32.9%	ONS, income inequality UK, FYE 2024

Wealth figures cover Great Britain; the income Gini covers the UK. The two are measured on different bases and are shown together only to illustrate that wealth is distributed less evenly than income.

What household wealth is made of

Most household wealth in Great Britain sits in two forms: property and private pensions. Net property wealth made up 40% of total household wealth and private pension wealth 35%, with net financial wealth at 14% and physical wealth at 10%, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). These shares matter for estate planning, because property and pensions are treated differently for tax.

Wealth component	Share of total household wealth
Net property wealth	40%
Private pension wealth	35%
Net financial wealth	14%
Physical wealth	10%

Source: ONS, Household total wealth in Great Britain, April 2020 to March 2022. Components are rounded and may not sum to 100%. Financial wealth was the most unequally distributed component, with a Gini coefficient of 0.87 over the same period.

Regional gaps

Where a household is matters. The wealthiest region measured was the South East, with median household wealth of £489,800, while the North East had the lowest at £179,900, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). The North East median was less than half the South East figure, which reflects large differences in property values.

Region	Median household wealth (Apr 2020 to Mar 2022)
South East	£489,800
North East	£179,900

Source: ONS, Household total wealth in Great Britain, April 2020 to March 2022. The ONS notes London estimates carry additional uncertainty from non-response, so London is not shown here.

Wealth compared with income

Wealth is spread far less evenly than income. The Gini coefficient for household wealth was 0.59 in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022), while the Gini for disposable income was 32.9% in the financial year ending 2024 (ONS, income inequality UK, FYE 2024). Income inequality has edged down over a decade.

Disposable income Gini (UK)	Value
Financial year ending 2015	34.7%
Financial year ending 2020	35.4%
Financial year ending 2024	32.9%

Source: ONS, Household income inequality UK, financial year ending 2024. Income Gini figures are for the UK; wealth Gini figures are for Great Britain, so the two are not directly comparable.

Sources and methodology

Every statistic on this page comes from a named ONS release and was checked against the source. The wealth figures are from the Wealth and Assets Survey, a household survey of assets, savings, debt and pensions covering Great Britain. The income comparison uses a separate ONS income-inequality release. Reference periods are stated with each figure because wealth and income are measured over different windows.

Household wealth, distribution, Gini and components: ONS, Household total wealth in Great Britain: April 2020 to March 2022. Reference period: April 2020 to March 2022, Great Britain.
Income inequality (Gini): ONS, Household income inequality, UK: financial year ending 2024. Reference period: financial year ending 2024, UK.
Inheritance tax rate and nil-rate band: gov.uk, Inheritance Tax, as at July 2026, subject to change.

Methodology note: the ONS has stated that accreditation of the Wealth and Assets Survey was suspended while quality work continues, and that pension methodology changes mean current wealth estimates are not directly comparable with earlier publications. Survey estimates carry sampling uncertainty and can be revised. Figures here are reproduced as published and rounded as the ONS presents them; none have been re-estimated.

Frequently asked questions

How unequal is wealth in the UK?

Wealth in Great Britain is highly concentrated. The wealthiest 1% of households held around 10% of all household wealth, the same share as the least wealthy 50% combined, and the wealth Gini coefficient was 0.59 in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). These figures cover Great Britain, not Northern Ireland.

What is the median household wealth in Great Britain?

Median household wealth in Great Britain was £293,700 including private pensions, and £181,700 excluding pensions, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). The median is the midpoint, so half of households held more and half held less. Northern Ireland is not covered by this survey.

How much wealth do you need to be in the top 10%?

A household needed total wealth of £1,200,500 or more to be in the wealthiest 10% in Great Britain, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). By contrast, the least wealthy 10% held £16,500 or less. Thresholds like these can move between survey periods and are subject to revision.

Is wealth more unequal than income?

Generally, yes. The wealth Gini coefficient was 0.59 in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022), while the disposable income Gini was 32.9% for the financial year ending 2024 (ONS, FYE 2024). They are measured differently, so this is a broad comparison rather than an exact one.

What is household wealth mostly made up of?

Property and pensions dominate. Net property wealth was 40% of total household wealth and private pension wealth 35%, with financial wealth at 14% and physical wealth at 10%, in April 2020 to March 2022 (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). Financial wealth was the most unequally spread component, with a Gini of 0.87.

Does wealth inequality affect inheritance tax?

It can, indirectly. Because much wealth sits in property and pensions, rising asset values can push more estates towards the inheritance tax thresholds. The nil-rate band is £325,000 and is frozen until the end of the 2030-31 tax year (5 April 2031), with a standard rate of 40% above the available thresholds (gov.uk, as at July 2026, subject to change). Individual outcomes vary, so many people discuss their position with a qualified professional.

Do these figures cover the whole UK?

Not entirely. The ONS wealth figures cover Great Britain, which is England, Scotland and Wales, and do not include Northern Ireland (ONS, April 2020 to March 2022). The income inequality Gini, by contrast, is a UK-wide measure (ONS, FYE 2024). Coverage differs between releases, so it is worth checking each source.

To see how these figures connect to planning, our estate planning guide sets out how wills, trusts and tax fit together, the companion page on UK household wealth looks at the wider dataset, and Inheritance Tax Explained covers how the thresholds work in practice.

About Fairchild Oldfield

The Fairchild Oldfield team brings together estate planning, tax, independent financial advice and client care, working with families across England and Wales.

Fairchild Oldfield are estate planning specialists and will writers, not a firm of solicitors. This article is general information based on practical experience and published statistics, not legal, tax or financial advice.

Important: This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Reading it does not create a professional relationship. It is based on the law of England and Wales, and other UK jurisdictions may differ; the wealth statistics cover Great Britain and exclude Northern Ireland. Figures and rules are current as at July 2026, statistics are as published by the ONS for the periods stated, and all are subject to change or revision. Before acting, many people choose to seek advice from a suitably qualified professional, such as a solicitor, a STEP practitioner, an accountant, or an FCA-authorised financial adviser, who can consider their individual circumstances.

Wealth Inequality in the UK: What the Statistics Show