Household income inequality fell to eight-year low in 2019

Median household income rose 1.4% to $9,425 in 2019.

Household income inequality fell in 2019, the lowest since 2001, according to data by the department of Singapore Statistic (SingStat). The Gini coefficient based on household income from work per household member was 0.452 in 2019, lower than the 0.458 in 2018, and the lowest since 2001.

With this, median household income from work in 2019 saw an upward growth in 2019.

Amongst resident employed households, median monthly household income from work inched up 1.4% in nominal terms, or 1% in real terms, from $9,293 in 2018 to $9,425 in 2019.

Over the last five years to 2019, there was a 13% cumulative increase in median monthly, or 2.5% growth per annum in real terms.

Meanwhile, per household member, median monthly household income from work rose by 4.8 % in nominal terms, from $2,792 in 2018 to $2,925 in 2019, or 4.3 per cent in real terms. Between 2014 and 2019, median monthly household income per household member grew by 22.2% cumulatively, or 4.1% per annum in real terms.

Households in all income deciles saw real growth in average household income from work per Household Member for the year. Households in the 1st - 90th percentile income groups registered real growth of 3.5 to 5.6%, higher than the real growth of 0.4% seen by households in the top 10% income group.

From the past five years to 2019, households in the 1st - 90th percentiles saw real growth of 3.9% to 4.5% per annum, while households in the top 10% income group recorded real growth of 2.5% annum.

Resident households including households with no working person, on the other hand, received $4,682 per household member on average from various government schemes in 2019.

Resident households in HDB 1- & 2-room flats received $10,548 per household member on average, which was more than double the transfers received by resident households staying in other dwelling types.