$20k Is Global Top Decile

Updated: 2025.08.25 1M ago 1 sources
For a one‑person household, a post‑tax income of about $20,000 places you in the richest 10% worldwide. This challenges perceptions of who counts as 'rich' and broadens the pool of people who can meaningfully fund effective interventions. — Redefining 'rich' at a global scale shifts moral and policy debates about responsibility and the scope of foreign aid.

Sources

Global inequality is huge — but so is the opportunity for people in high-income countries to support poor people
Joe Hasell 2025.08.25 100% relevant
Our World in Data’s threshold estimate that >$20,000 post‑tax income puts an individual in the global top decile.
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