Enter your annual income to see where you rank compared to the rest of the world.
This calculator compares your annual household income (adjusted for household size) against the global income distribution. The data is based on World Bank purchasing power parity (PPP) estimates and distributional data, which account for differences in the cost of living between countries. An income that feels modest in New York City still places you far above most of the world's population.
The global median income is approximately $3,920 per year (PPP-adjusted). That means half the world's population, roughly 4 billion people, lives on less than $11 a day. If you earn $35,000 a year, you are already richer than about 93% of the world.
Top 50% globally: About $3,920/year. Half the world earns less than this. Top 20%: About $16,000/year. Top 10%: About $28,000/year. Top 5%: About $40,000/year. Top 1%: About $60,000/year. These figures are in PPP-adjusted US dollars, which account for cost-of-living differences between countries.
A $60,000 income goes much further for a single person than for a family of five. This calculator adjusts for household size using the square root equivalence scale, which is the method used by the OECD and most international economists. It divides your total household income by the square root of the number of people in your household. For example, a family of four earning $100,000 has an equivalized income of $50,000 ($100,000 divided by 2).
The median household income in the United States was about $80,610 in 2024. That places the typical American household well into the global top 5%. Even Americans living near the US poverty line ($15,060 for a single person) are richer than roughly 85% of the world. This context does not diminish the real financial pressures Americans face, as cost of living varies enormously, but it does provide useful perspective on global inequality.
This tool compares income only. It does not account for wealth (assets minus debts), access to public services, healthcare, infrastructure, safety, or quality of life. Someone earning $20,000 in a country with free healthcare and education may have a higher effective standard of living than someone earning $40,000 in a country where those costs come out of pocket. Use this as one data point, not a complete picture of wellbeing.