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Wealth inequality has declined from 2015 to 2017

Udgivet d.

2. oktober 2019 - 13:22

English

Wealth inequality has declined from 2015 to 2017

On the basis of Statistics Denmark’s civil registries, CEPOS has analysed the wealth of the Danes. How substantial is it, and how is it distributed? The main conclusions of the analysis are that the Danes, on average, hold significant wealth and that the distribution of wealth has become more equal over the last few years.

  • On average, an adult Dane has a net worth of DKK 1.3 million. This number covers assets worth DKK 1.9 million and debt of DKK 0.6 million. The actual assets (primarily real estate) constitute approx. DKK 1 million, on average, while pension assets represent approx. DKK 600,000 and other financial assets (e.g., funds held in bank accounts) equal approx. DKK 300,000.
  • There is an inherent correlation between age and wealth. On average, 25-year olds have a net worth of DKK 161,000, while the average wealth peaks at DKK 2.6 million for the 66-year-olds. Thus, a 66-year-old owns wealth 16 times greater than the average of a 25-year-old. The age dependency of wealth is a contributing factor in explaining the wealth inequality in Denmark.
  • It requires a net worth of DKK 3.2 million to be in the top 10 per cent, and DKK 9.2 million to be in the top one per cent.
  • The top 10 per cent owns 47 per cent of all wealth, while the top one per cent possesses 15 per cent of all wealth.
  • During the period 2015-2017, the top 10 per cent’s share of the total wealth has declined by 1.4 percentage point, while the top one per cent’s share has declined by 0.4 percentage point.
  • From 2015 to 2017, the wealth inequality measured by the Gini coefficient decreased by 2.2 percentage point.
  • The municipalities, whose inhabitants own the least wealth, are Ishøj, Randers, and Brøndby. Despite the low placement, the inhabitants in these municipalities average a net worth of DKK 900,000 – DKK 1 million. In the municipalities owning the greatest wealth (Gentofte, Rudersdal, and Hørsholm), the average wealth equals DKK 3-4 million per adult.

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