Income Inequality
London has been a city of mixed fortunes for centuries, with residents from all walks of life, from the very rich to the very poor. The differences in income are much greater in London than in the rest of the UK, particularly after the high costs of housing in the capital are taken into account.
The income (after basic housing costs) of the bottom ten per cent of London households (adjusted to take account of differences in numbers and ages of residents) is around 30 per cent lower of that for the rest of the UK, while the income of the top ten per cent of London households is around 30 per cent higher than among the top portion of residents outside the capital.
This means that in London, the richest ten per cent have around nine times the income of the lowest income households in London. However, it is at its lowest point in the last decade or so, with the ratio reaching as high as eleven times as much, just a few years ago. In contrast, for the rest of the UK, this measure of income inequality has been more stable with the highest income tenth of households having around five times the income of the lowest income tenth. The ratio has begun to decrease in the last few years, both across the UK and in London..
Income inequality within London is stark, with the richest tenth of Londoners having over 10 times the income of the poorest tenth
Difference in weekly income (after housing costs) between top and bottom 10%, 2021/22 – 2023/24
