Who owns wealth in the UK?

Who owns wealth in the UK? Same lot, mostly.

Data: 3 months ago

For at least two centuries, the top 10% have held over half of all UK personal wealth. The post-war squeeze was real, but partial: concentration bottomed out near 52% around 1990. The slide back has been steady since, and the top 10% now hold over 57% again, roughly back to early-1980s levels.

UK net personal wealth shares by year: top 1% and top 10% (equal-split adults). Source: World Inequality Database (wid.world), CC-BY 4.0.
Year	Top 1% share	Top 10% share
1820	68.0%	94.6%
1850	68.7%	95.0%
1880	72.0%	97.0%
1895	72.1%	98.1%
1896	72.9%	98.1%
1897	72.0%	96.2%
1898	72.4%	97.7%
1899	70.9%	94.8%
1900	71.6%	96.4%
1901	70.9%	92.6%
1902	71.8%	96.5%
1903	71.0%	95.9%
1904	71.8%	97.0%
1905	72.5%	96.4%
1906	70.4%	93.5%
1907	69.9%	92.2%
1908	69.6%	96.0%
1909	70.3%	92.2%
1910	68.5%	94.5%
1911	68.9%	97.1%
1912	69.4%	96.8%
1913	67.6%	97.2%
1914	69.8%	98.8%
1919	62.4%	91.8%
1920	59.3%	94.1%
1921	60.8%	92.0%
1922	61.9%	92.5%
1923	59.6%	91.3%
1924	59.7%	91.8%
1925	59.2%	90.7%
1926	58.0%	92.1%
1927	59.8%	92.4%
1928	57.7%	91.8%
1929	58.0%	92.7%
1930	57.6%	90.5%
1931	55.6%	92.4%
1932	55.5%	90.9%
1933	56.5%	90.8%
1934	55.9%	92.3%
1935	56.1%	92.0%
1936	57.0%	92.8%
1937	55.8%	92.1%
1938	55.4%	90.3%
1939	53.6%	90.8%
1940	53.5%	90.5%
1941	52.5%	89.6%
1946	49.7%	91.6%
1947	48.3%	90.8%
1948	47.7%	91.0%
1949	46.8%	89.8%
1950	45.1%	86.5%
1951	44.2%	85.1%
1952	41.3%	84.6%
1953	42.4%	85.1%
1954	45.0%	85.0%
1955	41.0%	83.0%
1956	41.3%	81.7%
1957	39.1%	79.2%
1958	38.0%	79.1%
1959	39.3%	79.1%
1960	38.6%	78.3%
1961	37.6%	77.1%
1962	36.3%	75.0%
1963	36.6%	76.3%
1964	36.2%	76.9%
1965	35.0%	76.6%
1966	33.0%	74.4%
1967	33.8%	74.9%
1968	34.2%	75.3%
1969	31.2%	72.5%
1970	30.7%	72.1%
1971	30.5%	71.4%
1972	31.0%	72.9%
1973	28.3%	69.3%
1974	26.8%	68.4%
1975	25.4%	66.1%
1976	26.0%	68.2%
1977	23.8%	65.0%
1978	24.3%	66.2%
1979	20.8%	60.4%
1980	21.1%	58.3%
1981	20.4%	60.2%
1982	19.9%	57.7%
1983	20.1%	57.1%
1984	17.8%	52.9%
1985	18.6%	55.2%
1986	18.8%	55.0%
1987	19.2%	56.7%
1988	18.0%	54.6%
1989	19.2%	54.7%
1990	18.7%	51.6%
1991	18.3%	51.6%
1992	19.6%	54.0%
1993	20.3%	55.4%
1994	20.2%	55.7%
1995	18.6%	52.6%
1996	19.0%	54.0%
1997	20.8%	56.5%
1998	21.2%	56.7%
1999	20.4%	54.9%
2000	20.4%	55.8%
2001	20.4%	55.1%
2002	20.0%	55.5%
2003	18.8%	54.5%
2004	19.3%	54.0%
2005	20.2%	54.1%
2006	20.5%	54.4%
2007	20.6%	54.4%
2008	20.2%	53.8%
2009	20.1%	54.4%
2010	20.0%	54.6%
2011	20.3%	55.8%
2012	20.7%	55.7%
2013	22.6%	56.8%
2014	22.6%	57.8%
2015	21.4%	56.6%
2016	21.3%	57.1%
2017	21.2%	57.6%
2018	21.3%	57.1%
2019	21.1%	57.0%
2020	20.9%	56.8%
2021	21.1%	57.0%
2022	21.1%	57.1%
2023	21.3%	57.1%
2024	21.3%	57.1%

UK net personal wealth shares by year: top 1% and top 10% (equal-split adults). Source: World Inequality Database (wid.world), CC-BY 4.0.

Year

Top 1% share

Top 10% share

1820

68.0%

94.6%

1850

68.7%

95.0%

1880

72.0%

97.0%

1895

72.1%

98.1%

1896

72.9%

98.1%

1897

72.0%

96.2%

1898

72.4%

97.7%

1899

70.9%

94.8%

1900

71.6%

96.4%

1901

70.9%

92.6%

1902

71.8%

96.5%

1903

71.0%

95.9%

1904

71.8%

97.0%

1905

72.5%

96.4%

1906

70.4%

93.5%

1907

69.9%

92.2%

1908

69.6%

96.0%

1909

70.3%

92.2%

1910

68.5%

94.5%

1911

68.9%

97.1%

1912

69.4%

96.8%

1913

67.6%

97.2%

1914

69.8%

98.8%

1919

62.4%

91.8%

1920

59.3%

94.1%

1921

60.8%

92.0%

1922

61.9%

92.5%

1923

59.6%

91.3%

1924

59.7%

91.8%

1925

59.2%

90.7%

1926

58.0%

92.1%

1927

59.8%

92.4%

1928

57.7%

91.8%

1929

58.0%

92.7%

1930

57.6%

90.5%

1931

55.6%

92.4%

1932

55.5%

90.9%

1933

56.5%

90.8%

1934

55.9%

92.3%

1935

56.1%

92.0%

1936

57.0%

92.8%

1937

55.8%

92.1%

1938

55.4%

90.3%

1939

53.6%

90.8%

1940

53.5%

90.5%

1941

52.5%

89.6%

1946

49.7%

91.6%

1947

48.3%

90.8%

1948

47.7%

91.0%

1949

46.8%

89.8%

1950

45.1%

86.5%

1951

44.2%

85.1%

1952

41.3%

84.6%

1953

42.4%

85.1%

1954

45.0%

85.0%

1955

41.0%

83.0%

1956

41.3%

81.7%

1957

39.1%

79.2%

1958

38.0%

79.1%

1959

39.3%

79.1%

1960

38.6%

78.3%

1961

37.6%

77.1%

1962

36.3%

75.0%

1963

36.6%

76.3%

1964

36.2%

76.9%

1965

35.0%

76.6%

1966

33.0%

74.4%

1967

33.8%

74.9%

1968

34.2%

75.3%

1969

31.2%

72.5%

1970

30.7%

72.1%

1971

30.5%

71.4%

1972

31.0%

72.9%

1973

28.3%

69.3%

1974

26.8%

68.4%

1975

25.4%

66.1%

1976

26.0%

68.2%

1977

23.8%

65.0%

1978

24.3%

66.2%

1979

20.8%

60.4%

1980

21.1%

58.3%

1981

20.4%

60.2%

1982

19.9%

57.7%

1983

20.1%

57.1%

1984

17.8%

52.9%

1985

18.6%

55.2%

1986

18.8%

55.0%

1987

19.2%

56.7%

1988

18.0%

54.6%

1989

19.2%

54.7%

1990

18.7%

51.6%

1991

18.3%

51.6%

1992

19.6%

54.0%

1993

20.3%

55.4%

1994

20.2%

55.7%

1995

18.6%

52.6%

1996

19.0%

54.0%

1997

20.8%

56.5%

1998

21.2%

56.7%

1999

20.4%

54.9%

2000

20.4%

55.8%

2001

20.4%

55.1%

2002

20.0%

55.5%

2003

18.8%

54.5%

2004

19.3%

54.0%

2005

20.2%

54.1%

2006

20.5%

54.4%

2007

20.6%

54.4%

2008

20.2%

53.8%

2009

20.1%

54.4%

2010

20.0%

54.6%

2011

20.3%

55.8%

2012

20.7%

55.7%

2013

22.6%

56.8%

2014

22.6%

57.8%

2015

21.4%

56.6%

2016

21.3%

57.1%

2017

21.2%

57.6%

2018

21.3%

57.1%

2019

21.1%

57.0%

2020

20.9%

56.8%

2021

21.1%

57.0%

2022

21.1%

57.1%

2023

21.3%

57.1%

2024

21.3%

57.1%

What this chart shows

↑ The takeaway

In two hundred years of data, the top 10% have never held less than 51% of UK personal wealth. The post-war compression was real — but partial. Since the early 1990s, the trend has been steady re-concentration.

The share of net personal wealth held by the top 10% and the top 1% in the United Kingdom, from 1820 to 2024. Net personal wealth is the sum of all financial assets (savings, investments, pensions) and non-financial assets (mainly housing) — minus debts.

The shape tells a story in three acts. From 1820 to 1914, the UK was the most unequal large economy in the world by some measures — a tiny aristocratic and capitalist class held more than 90% of all personal wealth. Two world wars, progressive taxation, and the postwar welfare settlement compressed this dramatically: the top 10% share fell from 58% in 1980 to an all-time low of around 52% by 1990. Since then the curve has bent the other way.

Why it matters

Wealth, not income, is the dominant determinant of life outcomes in the UK in 2026. It funds deposits on first homes, university choices, business creation, and old-age security. When wealth is concentrated, opportunity is too — and the rate of inter-generational mobility falls. The "left-behind town" isn't a metaphor. It's a balance sheet.

Methodology & data quality

The data are drawn from the World Inequality Database (WID.world), which harmonises a range of national wealth estimates to produce comparable cross-country series. For the UK, WID combines: HMRC estate-multiplier estimates (1809 onward) ONS Wealth and Assets Survey microdata (2006 onward) National accounts household balance sheets Forbes/Sunday Times Rich List rich-list calibration at the very top The series uses net personal wealth — financial & non-financial assets minus debts, on an individual basis (not household). Pension wealth is included where defined-contribution; defined-benefit entitlements are excluded in this series. Year spanPrimary methodConfidence 1820 – 1900Estate multiplierModerate 1900 – 1960Estate multiplier + tax tabulationsHigh 1960 – 2006Tax tabulations + surveyHigh 2006 – 2024WAS microdata + adminVery high Known caveats: wealth at the very top is historically under-counted; offshore holdings are largely invisible to estate records; pension reform changes mean pre-2006 and post-2006 series are not strictly comparable for the bottom 50%. The ONS Wealth and Assets Survey microdata feeding the modern (2006 onward) UK leg lost accredited official statistics status in June 2025; WID's series mitigates this by calibrating the top tail against rich-list data, which household surveys miss.

What this chart shows

Why it matters

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