REAL household income per capita in the OECD increased by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026, a slowdown from 0.6% growth in Q4 2025. Meanwhile, real GDP per capita grew by 0.3%, a slight pickup from 0.2% in Q4 2025. GDP growth focuses on the change in aggregate economic activity, whereas household income growth reflects the change in income earned by households, i.e., the income available for spending or saving. Among the 21 countries with available data, 13 recorded growth in real household income per capita, and 8 recorded a contraction. 

Among G7 economies, real household income per capita increased by 0.2% in Q1 2026, reflecting varied outcomes across countries. In Italy, real household income per capita took a turn following a 0.9% contraction in Q4 2025 and grew by 0.8% in Q1 2026. The rebound was driven by increases in remuneration of employees associated with a slight decline in the unemployment rate (from 5.7% to 5.4% in Q1 2026), which offset lower social benefits. Real GDP per capita growth remained stable at 0.3%. In Canada, Germany and the United States, real household income per capita grew by 0.2%, up from 0.0%, 0.1% and -0.2%, respectively, in Q4 2025. By contrast, real household income per capita contracted in the United Kingdom by 0.8% following a 1.1% increase in the previous quarter. This contraction reflected an increased burden from taxes on income and wealth, partly due to a reduction in a tax-free allowance for capital gains, alongside a decrease in net social benefits and higher inflation. At the same time, real GDP per capita in the United Kingdom increased by 0.6% after two quarters with no growth. Real household income per capita also contracted in France, although slightly, falling by 0.1% after a 0.3% increase in Q4 2025. 

Among other OECD countries, the largest increases in real household income per capita were recorded in Hungary and Chile. In Hungary, a 6.3% increase in remuneration of employees drove real household income per capita growth, up from 1.7% in Q4 2025 to 6.0% in Q1 2026. This exceeded the 0.9% growth in real GDP per capita. Remuneration of employees and self-employed, alongside increases in net property income drove real household income per capita growth in Chile, which increased by 4.8% in Q1 2026, after zero growth in Q4 2025. By contrast, the largest decreases in Q1 2026 were recorded in Greece and Austria, where real household income per capita was eroded by reductions in net property income and social benefits, leading to contractions by 3.6% and 2.8%, respectively.