Story: Income and wealth distribution Page 2 – Market and total
income All the incomes to factors of production add up to market
income. This includes wages, salaries, self-employed income and
returns from investments. Total income includes, in addition to
market income, the money people receive from the state in the
form of social security benefits and retirement pensions. Data
for total income before tax has been collected in New Zealand
since 1981. Market and total income in 1981 Looking just at
market income, the 1981 census showed that 22% of adults (aged
15 and over) reported no income, and 47% reported less than
$5,000 a year ($18,900 in 2008 dollars). At the time the average
wage was about $11,000 a year (but many people were not in the
labour force). In terms of total income, the proportion without
any income was 7% (or a third of those without any market
income). These were mainly school students and mothers at home.
However 42% still reported income of less than $5,000 a year.
Individuals on high i