Wealthy Percentiles Rising

The rich continue to get richer, and everyone else either only kind of earns more or stays where they’re at. In the income chart below, the top line for Americans in the 99th percentile, or the top 1%, separates from the bottom more over the years.

ANNUAL INCOME IN 2023 DOLLARS,

AMONG FULL-TIME WORKERS

Sup.

$600k

Oh no.

99th percentile

WHHHEEE AGAIN.

$500k

WHHHHEEEEEEEE.

Great Recession dip.

There is a big jump for just one percentile. It must be lonely up there.

$400k

This person made a lot for 1970.

98th

$300k

97th

96th

95th

$200k

Gaps at the top increase much quicker than at the bottom.

The 1950 survey capped at $10k in contemporary dollars, so 98th and 99th percentile marks are probably higher.

90th

80th

$100k

70th

60th

50th

Since 1970, income levels for the lower 50% did not change much.

40th

SURVEY

SAMPLE

30th

20th

10th

$0k

2000

2010

2021

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

SOURCE: CENSUS BUREAU, IPUMS / BY: FLOWINGDATA

ANNUAL INCOME IN 2023 DOLLARS,

AMONG FULL-TIME WORKERS

Sup.

$600k

PERCENTILE

Oh no.

99th

WHHHHEEEEEEEE.

WHHEEE.

$500k

Big jump.

Great Recession dip.

This person made

a lot for 1970.

$400k

98th

$300k

97th

96th

$200k

95th

90th

$100k

80th

70th

60th

50th

40th

30th

20th

$0k

10th

SURVEY SAMPLE

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2021

Since 1970, income levels for the lower 50% did not change much.

SOURCE: CENSUS BUREAU, IPUMS / BY: FLOWINGDATA

The percentiles are based on income data from the United States Census Bureau, which I calculated using data via IPUMS. The survey data doesn’t specify between full-time and part-time workers, so the estimates are for people who worked at least 40 weeks, most of whom worked at least 50 weeks.

The gray dots represent a sample from each year so that you can see the distributions. The bottom portion doesn’t change much. The top portion for higher income, where there are supposedly more problems, stretches up.

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