According to a statement from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), “the real ‘per capita’ income of households in the OECD increased by 0.4% in the second quarter of 2025, while real GDP ‘per capita’ grew slightly faster, 0.5%”.
In both cases, there is “an acceleration compared to the previous quarter, when they grew by 0.1%,” says the OECD, explaining that the acceleration in household income reflects “stronger growth in most OECD countries”.
Among the 19 countries for which data is available, 12 recorded growth higher than the previous quarter, and seven experienced a slowdown.
In most G7 countries, there was an increase in household income.
In the United States, the world’s largest economy, the chained income variation was 0.6%, after a growth of 0.5% in the first quarter.
In Germany and the United Kingdom, income growth was 0.3%, following declines of 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively, in the previous three months.
For Germany, the OECD states, “the recovery was mainly driven by an increase in social benefits received from the government and a reduction in social contributions paid” and, in the United Kingdom, “reflected an increase in employee compensation and a reduction in taxes paid”.
However, real GDP ‘per capita’ behaved differently in the two countries this second quarter: it fell by 0.2% in Germany but grew by 0.2% in the United Kingdom.
In France, the growth of real household ‘per capita’ income “accelerated from 0.0% in the first quarter to 0.3% in the second quarter, reflecting the acceleration of real GDP per capita,” says the OECD.
In Italy, income growth was 0.3%, which represented a slowdown compared to January to March, when it was 0.8%. The slowdown reflects “mainly a decrease in worker compensation,” notes the OECD.
In Canada, the variation in the second quarter was 0.2%, slightly accelerating from the previous quarter, which was 0.1%.
In other OECD countries with available data, Poland “recorded the highest growth in real household ‘per capita’ income (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 ‘per capita’ income were observed in Chile and the Netherlands (both at -0.6%),” the OECD indicates in the same note.
