Income share held by highest 20% in United States
United States: Income share held by highest 20% was 47.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Income share held by highest 20% in United States, 1963–2024
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
Analysis
United States recorded 47.1% for income share held by highest 20% in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share held by highest 20% in United States peaked at 47.4% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 41.1%, in 1978.
That places United States 23rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.
Income share held by highest 20% in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 42.9% | — |
| 1964 | 43.5% | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 43.0% | -1.1% |
| 1966 | 43.1% | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 43.0% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 42.6% | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 42.4% | -0.5% |
| 1970 | 42.8% | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 43.1% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 42.7% | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 42.3% | -0.9% |
| 1974 | 41.8% | -1.2% |
| 1975 | 41.9% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 41.8% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 41.8% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 41.1% | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 41.3% | +0.5% |
| 1980 | 41.2% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 41.8% | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 42.6% | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 42.9% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 43.0% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 43.4% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 43.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 42.9% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 43.4% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 44.0% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 44.0% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 43.8% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 44.0% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 45.8% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 45.6% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 45.6% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 46.0% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 46.2% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 45.6% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 45.7% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 45.9% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 46.2% | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 45.9% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 46.2% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 46.1% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 46.8% | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 47.1% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 46.6% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 46.5% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 46.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 45.8% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 46.6% | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 46.6% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 46.4% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 47.4% | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 47.1% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 46.9% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 46.8% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 47.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 47.3% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 45.8% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 46.0% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 47.1% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 47.2% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 47.1% | -0.2% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 47.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.9%, 1.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 42.9% | 42.4% | 43.5% | 7 |
| 1970s | 42.1% | 41.1% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 42.8% | 41.2% | 44.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.2% | 43.8% | 46.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.4% | 45.9% | 47.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.8% | 45.8% | 47.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.6% | 45.8% | 47.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More poverty & inequality data for United States
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share held by highest 20% in United States?
- Income share held by highest 20% in United States was 47.1% in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest income share held by highest 20% recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 47.4% in 2014.
- What is the lowest income share held by highest 20% recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.1% in 1978.
- How does United States rank for income share held by highest 20%?
- United States ranks 23rd out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is income share held by highest 20% rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Income share held by highest 20%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.