Income share of the richest 20% — all countries

Income share of the richest 20% — United States

Income share of the richest 20% in the United States in 2024 — 47.1%. Ranked 15 in the world out of 25. Since 1963, the indicator has risen by 4.2 pp.

2024 47.1% −0.1 pp vs 2023
World rank 15of 25
Period maximum 47.4%2014
Period minimum 41.1%1978

Trend over time

1963–2024 · % of income

Income share of the richest 20% — United States, 1963–2024404244464819631970197719841991199820052012201920241963: 42.9%1965: 43%1967: 43%1969: 42.4%1971: 43.1%1973: 42.3%1975: 41.9%1977: 41.8%1979: 41.3%1981: 41.8%1983: 42.9%1985: 43.4%1987: 42.9%1989: 44%1991: 43.8%1993: 45.8%1995: 45.6%1997: 46.2%1999: 45.7%2001: 46.2%2003: 46.2%2005: 46.8%2007: 46.6%2009: 46.5%2011: 46.6%2013: 46.4%2015: 47.1%2017: 46.8%2019: 47.3%2021: 46%2023: 47.2%2024: 47.1%
Change over the period: +4.2 pp Annual average: 0.07 pp
Income share of the richest 20% — United States, by year United States All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 47.1 −0.1 pp
2023 47.2 +0.1 pp
2022 47.1 +1.1 pp
2021 46 +0.2 pp
2020 45.8 −1.5 pp
2019 47.3 +0.1 pp
2018 47.2 +0.4 pp
2017 46.8 −0.1 pp
2016 46.9 −0.2 pp
2015 47.1 −0.3 pp
2014 47.4 +1 pp
2013 46.4 −0.2 pp
2012 46.6 +0 pp
2011 46.6 +0.8 pp
2010 45.8 −0.7 pp
2009 46.5 +0 pp
2008 46.5 −0.1 pp
2007 46.6 −0.5 pp
2006 47.1 +0.3 pp
2005 46.8 +0.7 pp
2004 46.1 −0.1 pp
2003 46.2 +0.3 pp
2002 45.9 −0.3 pp
2001 46.2 +0.3 pp
2000 45.9 +0.2 pp
1999 45.7 +0.1 pp
1998 45.6 −0.6 pp
1997 46.2 +0.2 pp
1996 46 +0.4 pp
1995 45.6 +0 pp
1994 45.6 −0.2 pp
1993 45.8 +1.8 pp
1992 44 +0.2 pp
1991 43.8 −0.2 pp
1990 44 +0 pp
1989 44 +0.6 pp
1988 43.4 +0.5 pp
1987 42.9 −0.3 pp
1986 43.2 −0.2 pp
1985 43.4 +0.4 pp
1984 43 +0.1 pp
1983 42.9 +0.3 pp
1982 42.6 +0.8 pp
1981 41.8 +0.6 pp
1980 41.2 −0.1 pp
1979 41.3 +0.2 pp
1978 41.1 −0.7 pp
1977 41.8 +0 pp
1976 41.8 −0.1 pp
1975 41.9 +0.1 pp
1974 41.8 −0.5 pp
1973 42.3 −0.4 pp
1972 42.7 −0.4 pp
1971 43.1 +0.3 pp
1970 42.8 +0.4 pp
1969 42.4 −0.2 pp
1968 42.6 −0.4 pp
1967 43 −0.1 pp
1966 43.1 +0.1 pp
1965 43 −0.5 pp
1964 43.5 +0.6 pp
1963 42.9

About the indicator

The share of total income or consumption that goes to the richest twenty percent of the population. Under complete equality it would be twenty percent; in the most unequal countries of Latin America and Southern Africa it comes to more than sixty. The ratio of this share to the share of the poorest quintile — the quintile ratio, S80/S20 — was historically the first measure of inequality, and it speaks more clearly than the Gini index about the gap between the poles.

Important: There are no aggregates for country groups for the same reason as with the Gini index: the quintile of a group is not a union of national quintiles. Household surveys systematically understate the incomes of the richest, so real inequality is higher than measured.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.