national income

American  

noun

1. the total net earnings from the production of goods and services in a country over a period of time, usually one year, and consisting essentially of wages, salaries, rent, profits, and interest.

---

national income British  

noun

1. economics the total of all incomes accruing over a specified period to residents of a country and consisting of wages, salaries, profits, rent, and interest

---

Etymology

Origin of national income

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

national income

At the beginning of 2001, corporate profits amounted to 6% of national income.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Burnham has said he wants to honour the UK's commitments on defence spending - including meeting a Nato target of spending 3.5% of national income by 2035.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

“This supports national income in both economies, but it also means they are exporting inflation to the rest of the world, with spot semiconductor prices still rising,” the economists say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The possibility of a populist backlash is especially relevant currently, given that the share of national income going to labor is now at an all-time low.

From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026

Exports of agricultural raw materials and processed foods exceeded 1 billion leva in 1970; they had increased 2.7 times during the decade and were equivalent to 44 percent of agriculture's contribution to the national income.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Violeta D. Baluyut