Income inequality is very different across countries. This figure shows
the ratio of the after-tax income of the 90th percentile earner to the after-
tax income of the 10th percentile earner for selected OECD countries. For
example, in Canada, the income of the 90th percentile earner is just over
four times the income of the 10th percentile earner. By this measure,
Chile and the United States have much more unequal incomes than do
the Scandinavian countries. Canada’s measure lies roughly in the middle.
(Source: OECD Income Distribution and Poverty Database, 2015.)
The Rise of the 1 Percent
Growing attention is being paid to rising income inequality in Canada and
other countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom.
While real average per capita income has been growing gradually over
many years, the vast majority of the economy’s total income growth in
recent years has accrued to the very highest income earners, while
average incomes among the lowest-income individuals have been
approximately stagnant.