Real household income per capita in the OECD rose by 0.4% in Q2 2025, while real GDP per capita grew slightly faster at 0.5% (Figure 1). Both measures showed an acceleration compared with the previous quarter, when they each grew by 0.1%. The overall acceleration in real household income per capita reflected stronger growth in most OECD countries. Among the 19 countries for which data is available, 12 recorded higher growth than in the previous quarter, while 7 saw a slowdown.
In the G71, most countries saw increases in real household income per capita in Q2 2025. Income growth rebounded to 0.3% in Germany and the United Kingdom, from contractions of 0.5% and 0.8% respectively in Q1. In Germany, the rebound was mainly driven by higher government social benefits received2 and lower social contributions paid. In the United Kingdom, it reflected an increase in remuneration of employees3 and a reduction in paid taxes4. By contrast, real GDP per capita fell in Germany (‑0.2%) while it grew in the United Kingdom (0.2%) in Q2.
In France, growth in real household income per capita accelerated from 0.0% in Q1 to 0.3% in Q2, mirroring the acceleration in real GDP per capita. Despite a decline in growth of nominal income, mainly due to lower income from self-employment5, real income increased as inflation[6] came to a halt in France. Lower inflation in Q2 also supported real income growth in other G7 countries (Figure 2). Growth in real household income per capita also increased, though more modestly, in the United States (from 0.5% to 0.6%) and Canada (from 0.1% to 0.2%), even as real GDP per capita contracted in Q2 in Canada (-0.4%). By contrast, Italy experienced a slowdown in real household income per capita growth, from 0.8% in Q1 to 0.3% in Q2, mainly reflecting a decline in remuneration of employees, while real GDP per capita growth also slowed, from 0.4% in Q1 to 0.0% in Q2.
Among other OECD countries, Poland recorded the strongest growth in real household income per capita (3.1%), supported by falling inflation as well as higher social benefits and net property income, while real GDP per capita also increased (0.9%). The largest declines in real household income per capita were observed in Chile and the Netherlands (both -0.6%). In Chile, rising inflation eroded nominal income growth, while real GDP per capita slowed from 0.7% in Q1 to 0.2% in Q2. In the Netherlands, lower self-employment income and higher taxes paid dampened income growth.
- Estimates are not available for Japan.
- Known as ‘social benefits other than social transfers in kind’ in the national accounts.
- Known as ‘compensation of employees’ in the national accounts.
- Known as ‘current taxes on income and wealth’ in the national accounts.
- Known as ‘gross operating surplus and mixed income’ in the national accounts.
- Measured by the implicit deflator (price index) of final consumption expenditure of households.
Methodology
Release dates
- Next release: mid-February 2026
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