The Global Purchasing Power Segmentation was introduced in Q3 2019 to sort all respondents, from all GWI Core Markets, into five income groups based on their level of purchasing power.
What does the segmentation do?
The Global Purchasing Power segmentation uses a relative measure of how much each respondent can purchase with their household income in their market - compared to other markets. This means that respondents in the 1st Quintile from Switzerland will be able to purchase the same number, and value, of goods and services with their household income as respondents in the 1st Quintile from Malaysia.
This allows users to compare respondents who have the same level of purchasing power regardless of the country they live in - giving a view of the habits of the most and least affluent members of the global community. It could be used to, for example, get a global view of all the consumers who are able to comfortably afford regular luxury purchases, or who are likely to watch certain affluent television channels.
What is Purchasing Power Parity?
Purchasing Power Parity data, or Global Dollar Values, are published by the IMF each year. In this they convert all currencies into their equivalent value in dollars, so it can be understood how many goods and services people from all over the world can purchase with each unit of their currency.
This isn’t calculated just by using currency exchange rates, but also by evaluating the relative prices of goods and services in each country. A country where things are cheaper to buy, meaning a lower monthly income goes further, will have a Purchasing Power Parity to match. Countries that use the Euro, for example, will all have different global dollar values.
How are the groups made?
We create these groups by combining GWI Core Household Income data, taken from the individual country household income questions, with International Dollar Purchasing Power Parity, or Global Dollar Value, data taken from the IMF.
This allows us to assign each income bracket with a value in dollars so that the value represented by each income bracket is comparable across each market.
Example
The middle Malaysian bracket is 40,001 to 60,000 Malaysian Ringgits, the midpoint of this bracket is then taken, which is 50,000.5 MYR.
The IMF gives Malaysia a global Dollar value of 1.564. Meaning that 1 Dollar will buy as many goods and services in The United States of America as 1.564 Malaysian Ringgits will buy in Malaysia.
The midpoint of the income bracket is then divided by 1.564, to come up with a final value of 31969.6. This is then ranked against all the other brackets, from all other markets, placing respondents with this household income within the 3rd quintile.
The IMF publishes updated values every year and we update our segmentation brackets accordingly. This means that when comparing waves from different years you may see fluctuations in the composition of each group - with some countries having more people in higher groups, and others in lower.
How does this compare to the main income segmentation?
The main income segmentation segments/ranks respondents by how wealthy they are compared only to respondents in their own market, meaning that many members of the “High” segment in Malaysia will be significantly less well off financially than members of the “Low” segment in Switzerland.
What do I need to consider when interpreting the results?
The nature of the Global Purchasing Power Segmentation, means that some markets will have the majority of their respondents in the top segments, 1 and 2, and some markets will have the majority of the respondents in the bottom segments, 4 and 5.
Additionally, there are a number of markets in which no respondents fall within a segment. This doesn’t mean that in that country there aren’t any people with that level of wealth, but instead that the brackets used in the GWI Core income question don’t presently cover this segment. In most cases however, the number of individuals in the country who would fall within this segment would be very low.
It is worth noting that, as the GWI audience is 16-64 Internet users, some markets may contain more respondents in the higher brackets than users will intuitively expect. This is due to the fact that internet-using populations tend to be higher income than those who haven’t got access to the internet.
The income ranges, for Q3 2025 onwards, for each quintile are detailed on the following table.
Note: Ranges from older quarters will differ slightly due to changing GD values.
| Bottom Quintile 5 | Quintile 4
| Quintile 3
| Quintile 2
| Top Quintile 1
|
Argentina Argentine Peso
ARS
| ≤ 3,000,001 | 3,000,001 - 10,000,000
| ≥ 10,000,001 | N/A | N/A |
Australia Australian Dollar
AUD
| ≤ 20,000 | 20,001 - 30,000 | 30,001 – 50,000
| 50,001 - 120,000 | ≥ 120,001 |
Austria European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 10,000
| 10,001 – 20,000
| 20,001 – 32,000
| 32,001 - 60,000
| ≥60,001 |
Belgium European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 5,000
| 5,001 - 15,000 | 15,001 - 30,000
| 30,001 - 50,000
| ≥50,001 |
Brazil
Brazilian Real
BRL
| ≤ 17,500
| 17,501 – 50,000 | 50,001 – 90,000
| 90,001 – 150,000
| ≥ 150,001
|
Bulgaria Bulgarian Lev BGN | ≤ 5,000
| 5,001 - 25,000 | 25,001 – 35,000 | 35,001 - 65,000
| ≥65,001 |
Canada Canadian Dollar
CAD
| N/A | ≤ 30,000 | 30,001 – 50,000
| 50,001 - 100,000
| ≥ 100,001 |
Chile Chilean Peso
CLP | ≤ 3,000,000 | 3,000,001 - 10,000,000 | 10,000,001 - 20000,000 | 20,000,001 - 30.000.000 | ≥ 30.000.001 |
China Chinese Yuan
RMB
| ≤ 20,000
| 20,001 – 80,000
| 80,001 – 150,000
| 150,001- 240,000 | ≥ 240,001 |
Colombia Colombian Peso
COP
| ≤ 10,000,000 | 10,000,001 – 36,000,000 | 36,000,001 - 45,000,000 | ≥ 45,000,001 | N/A
|
Croatia European Euro
EUR | ≤ 4,000 | 4,001 - 9,000 | 9,001 - 20,000 | 20,001 - 40,000 | ≥ 40,001 |
Czech Republic Czeck Koruna
CZK | ≤ 96,000 | 96,001 - 300,000 | 300,001 - 520,000 | 520,001 - 1,000,000 | ≥ 1,000,001 |
Denmark Danish Krone
DKK
| N/A
| ≤150,000
| 150,001 – 250,000
| 250,001 - 450,000 | ≥ 450,001 |
Egypt Egyptian Pound
EGP
| ≤ 60,000 | 60,001 - 200,000
| N/A
| ≥ 200,001
| N/A
|
France European Euro
EUR
| N/A
| ≤ 17,000 | 17,001 – 27,000
| 27,001- 55,000 | ≥ 55,001 |
Germany European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 2,500
| 2,501 – 20,000
| 20,001 – 25,000
| 25,001 - 60,000 | ≥ 60,001
|
Ghana Ghanaian Cedi
GHS
| ≤ 40,000 | 40,001 - 75,000
| N/A
| N/A
| N/A |
Greece European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 2,000
| 2,001 – 15,000
| 15,001 – 20,000
| 20,001 - 40,000 | ≥ 40,001
|
Hong Kong Hong Kong Dollar
HKD
| ≤ 80,000 | N/A | 80,001 – 200,000
| 200,001 – 420,000
| ≥ 420,001
|
Hungary Hungarian Forint
HUF | ≤ 1,200,000 | 1,200,001 - 4,000,000
| 4,000,001 - 7,000,000 | 7,000,001 - 14,000,000 | ≥ 14,000,001 |
India Indian Rupee
INR
| ≤ 200,000 | 200,001 – 450,000
| 450,001 – 720,001
| 720,001 - 1,500,000 | ≥1,500,001 |
Indonesia Indonesian Rupiah
IDR
| ≤ 35,000,0000
| 35,000,001 - 120,000,000 | 120,000,001 - 200,000,000
| 200,000,001 – 300,000,000
| ≥ 300,000,001 |
Ireland European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 10,000 | 10,001 - 20,000
| 20,001 – 30,000
| 30,001 - 66,000 | ≥ 65,001 |
Israel Israeli Shekel
NIS
| ≤ 40,000
| 40,001 - 100,000
| 100,001 - 150,000
| 150,001 - 280,000
| ≥ 280,001 |
Italy European Euro
EUR
| N/A | ≤ 15,000
| 15,001 – 25,000
| 25,001 – 45,000
| ≥ 45,001 |
Japan Japanese Yen
JPY
| ≤ 1,200,000
| 1,2000,001 – 3,000,000
| 3,000,000 - 3,800,000 | 3,800,001 - 7,000,000
| ≥ 7,000,001 |
Kenya Kenyan Shilling
KES
| ≤ 360,000 | 360,001 – 1,200,000
| 1,200,001 – 1,800,000
| 1,800,001 – 2,400,000
| ≥ 2,400,001
|
Malaysia Malaysian Ringgit
MYR
| ≤ 10,000
| 10,001 – 30,000
| 30,001 – 60,000
| 60,001 – 100,000
| ≥ 100,001 |
Mexico Mexican Peso
MXN
| ≤ 85,000
| 85,001 – 300,000 | 300,001 – 420,,000
| 420,001 – 780,000
| ≥ 780,001
|
Morocco Moroccan Dirham
MAD
| ≤ 30,000
| 30,001 - 96,000 | ≥ 96,001 | N/A | N/A |
Netherlands European Euro
EUR
| N/A
| ≤ 20,000
| 20,001 – 30,000
| 30,001 - 55,000
| ≥ 55,001 |
New Zealand New Zealand Dollar
NZD
| N/A | ≤ 30,000
| 30,001 – 50,000
| 50,001 - 125,000 | ≥125,001
|
Nigeria Nigerian Naira
NGN
| ≤ 1,000,000
| 1,000,001 - 4,000,000 | 4,000,001 – 8,000,000
| ≥ 8,000,001
| N/A |
Norway Norwegian Krone
NOK | N/A | ≤ 250,000 | 250,001 - 350,000 | 350,001 - 650,000 | ≥ 650,001 |
Philippines Philippine Peso
PHP
| ≤ 150,000
| 150,001 - 480,000
| 480,001 – 700,000
| 700,001 – 1,250,000
| ≥ 1,250,001
|
Poland Polish Zloty
PLN
| ≤ 20,000
| 20,001 – 50,000
| 50,001 – 80,000 | 80,001 -140,000 | ≥ 140,001 |
Portugal European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 8,000 | 8,001 - 12,000
| 12,001 – 20,000 | 20,001 - 38,000
| ≥ 38,001 |
Romania Romania Leu
RON
| ≤ 15,000
| 15,001 - 50,000
| 50,001 - 85,000
| 85,001 - 100,000
| ≥ 100,001 |
Russia Russian Ruble
RUB
| ≤ 170,000
| 170,001 – 700,000 | 700,001 – 1,200,000
| 1,200,001 - 1,600,000
| ≥ 1,600,000 |
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian Riyal
SAR
| ≤ 12,000
| 12,001 – 40,000 | 40,001 - 60,000 | 60,001 – 120,000
| ≥ 120,001
|
Serbia Serbian Dinar
RSD | ≤ 300,000 | 300,001 - 1,000,000 | 1,000,001 - 2,000,000 | 2,000,001 -3,000,000 | ≥ 3,000,001 |
Singapore Singapore Dollar
SGD
| ≤ 4,000
| 4,001 – 25,000
| N/A | 25,001 - 55,000 | ≥ 55,001
|
South Africa South African Rand
ZAR
| ≤ 60,000
| 60,001 – 160,000
| 160,001 – 320,000
| 320,001 – 480,000
| ≥ 480,001 |
South Korea South Korean Won
KRW
| ≤ 4,000,000
| 4,000,001 – 20,000,000
| 20,000,001 – 30,000,000
| 30,000,001 - 65,000,000
| ≥ 65,000,001 |
Spain European Euro
EUR
| ≤ 2,000
| 2,001 – 15,000
| 15,001 – 22,000
| 22,001 – 50,000
| ≥ 50,001 |
Sweden Swedish Krona
SEK
| ≤ 40,000
| 40,001 – 200,000
| 200,001 – 320,000
| 320,001 - 600,000
| ≥ 600,001
|
Switzerland Swiss Franc
CHF
| N/A
| ≤ 45,000 | N/A | 45,001 – 65,000
| ≥ 65,001 |
Taiwan New Taiwan Dollar
TWD
| ≤ 150,000
| 150,001 – 420,000
| 420,001 – 600,000
| 600,001 – 1,000,000
| ≥ 1,000,001
|
Thailand Thai Baht
THB
| ≤ 60,000
| 60,001 – 240,000
| 240,001 – 400,000
| 400,001 - 750,000
| ≥ 750,001 |
Turkey Turkish Lira
TRY
| ≤ 100,000
| 100,001 – 400,000
| 400,001 - 700,000 | 700,000 - 1,000,000
| ≥ 1,000,001
|
UAE UAE Dirham
AED
| ≤ 20,000
| 20,001 – 40,000 40,001 – 65,000
| 65,001 - 100,000 | 100,001 - 145,000 145,001 - 200,000
| ≥200,000 |
UK Pound Sterling
GBP
| ≤ 10,000 | 10,001 - 15,000
| 15,001 – 24,000 | 24,001 - 48,000 | ≥ 48,001 |
USA United States Dollar
USD
| N/A | ≤ 25,000 | 25,001 – 40,000
| 40,001 - 85,000
| ≥ 85,001
|
Vietnam Vietnamese Dong
VND
| ≤ 50,000,000
| 50,000,001 – 150,000,000
| 150,000,001 – 300,000,000
| 300,000,001 – 500,000,000
| ≥500,000,001 |