March 30, 2023 update: Added 2023-Q1 data.   Click to hide

Who Benefits from Income and Wealth Growth in the United States?

Department of Economics | University of California, Berkeley

Realtime Inequality provides the first timely statistics on how economic growth is distributed across groups. When new growth numbers come out each quarter, we show how each income and wealth group benefits. Controlling for price inflation, average national income per adult in the United States increased at an annualized rate of 2.2% in the first quarter of 2023, and average income for the bottom 50% grew by 1.5%. National income is similar to GDP and a better indicator of income earned by US residents. Visit the Methodology page for complete methodological details.

Real income growth per adult in the last quarter (2023-Q1)

Growth rates, gains, and income levels are annualized.

Period:

Sort by:

Group

Growth (%)

Gain ($)

Income

Group
Growth (%)
Gain ($)
Avg. Income

Total

2.2%

$1.9k

$89k

Bottom 50%

1.5%

$270

$18k

Middle 40%

1.7%

$1.6k

$92k

Top 10%

2.7%

$12k

$430k

Top 1%

4.3%

$78k

$1.9M

Top 0.1%

4.5%

$400k

$8.9M

Top 0.01%

5%

$2.1M

$42M

Realtime Inequality

Income InequalityIncome

Wealth InequalityWealth

Labor InequalityLabor

Methodology

Income Inequality

You can adjust the graph with the options below: what the y-axis displays, the definition of income, the statistical unit, the data frequency, and the time range. You can also select groups using the box on the right. All dollar figures are annualized and adjusted for price inflation to March 2023 dollars.

Income graph options

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Y-axis

Real Income Growth

Income type

Factor Income

Population

Adults (age 20+)

Data frequency

Monthly

Y-axis

Real Income Growth

Income type

Factor Income

Population

Adults (age 20+)

Data frequency

Monthly

FROM

January

01

1976

TO

March

03

2023

January

01

1976

TO

March

03

2023

Real Factor Income Growth for Adults (age 20+)

Top 10%

Middle 40%

Bottom 50%

Total

Real Factor Income Growth198019851990199520002005201020152020-20%0%20%40%60%80%100%120%140%160%

Factor income growth per adult

From Jan 1976 to Mar 2023
Group
Growth (%)
Gain ($)
Mutually Exclusive Groups (Click to expand)
+

Wealth Inequality

You can adjust the graph with the options below: what the y-axis displays, the definition of wealth, the statistical unit, the data frequency, and the time range. You can also select groups using the box on the right. All dollar figures are annualized and adjusted for price inflation to March 2023 dollars.

Wealth graph options

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Edit

Graph display

NEW
Y-axis

Real Wealth Growth

Wealth type

Wealth

Population

Adults (age 20+)

Data frequency

Monthly

Y-axis

Real Wealth Growth

Wealth type

Wealth

Population

Adults (age 20+)

Data frequency

Monthly

FROM

January

01

1976

January

01

1976

Real Wealth Growth for Adults (age 20+)

Top 0.01%

Top 0.1%

Top 1%

Top 10%

Middle 40%

Total

Real Wealth Growth19801985199019952000200520102015202020250%200%400%600%800%1000%1200%1400%1600%1800%2000%Today

Wealth growth per adult

From Jan 1976 to Today
Group
Growth (%)
Gain ($)
Mutually Exclusive Groups (Click to expand)
+

Labor Income Inequality

You can adjust the graph with the options below: what the y-axis displays, the definition of labor income, the statistical unit, the data frequency, and the time range. You can also select groups using the box on the right. All dollar figures are annualized and adjusted for price inflation to March 2023 dollars.

Labor Income graph options

Reset

Edit

Y-axis

Real Labor Income Growth

Labor Income type

Labor Income

Population

Working age adults (equal split)

Data frequency

Monthly

Y-axis

Real Labor Income Growth

Labor Income type

Labor Income

Population

Working age adults (equal split)

Data frequency

Monthly

FROM

January

01

1976

TO

March

03

2023

January

01

1976

TO

March

03

2023

Real Labor Labor Income Growth for Working age adults (equal split)

Top 1%

Top 10%

4th (Top) Quartile

3rd Quartile

2nd Quartile

Total

Real Labor Income Growth1980198519901995200020052010201520200%50%100%150%200%250%300%350%

Labor income growth per working age adult

From Jan 1976 to Mar 2023
Group
Growth (%)
Gain ($)
Mutually Exclusive Groups (Click to expand)
+