US Income Inequality Statistics 2026
Income and wealth inequality in the United States has reached levels not seen since the Gilded Age. The top 1% of Americans now own 32% of the nation's total wealth, while the bottom 50% hold just 2.6%. The gap between the highest and lowest earners continues to widen, driven by divergent returns on capital versus labor, technological disruption, and policy choices around taxation and social spending.
This report presents the latest data on income inequality, wealth concentration, and the CEO-worker pay gap in the United States.
Editor's Choice: Key Inequality Statistics
- The top 1% of Americans own 32% of the nation's wealth, totaling approximately $46.2 trillion.
- The U.S. Gini coefficient stands at 0.49, the highest of any developed nation.
- The CEO-to-worker pay ratio is 344:1, meaning the average S&P 500 CEO earns as much in one day as the median worker earns in an entire year.
- The bottom 50% of Americans hold just 2.6% of total wealth, roughly $3.7 trillion split among 165 million people.
- Real wages for the bottom 20% have grown just 4.3% since 2000, compared to 42% for the top 5%.
- Black household median income is 61% of white household median income.
- The wealth of the 735 U.S. billionaires combined exceeds $5.7 trillion.
Wealth Distribution
Share of Total U.S. Wealth by Group
Gini Coefficient: International Comparison
| Country | Gini | Top 10% Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 0.49 | 46.9% |
| United Kingdom | 0.36 | 35.7% |
| Germany | 0.32 | 31.2% |
| Canada | 0.33 | 33.5% |
| Denmark | 0.28 | 27.1% |
CEO-to-Worker Pay Ratio Over Time
| Year | Ratio | Avg. CEO Comp. |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 21:1 | $0.7M (adj.) |
| 2000 | 366:1 | $21.3M |
| 2020 | 351:1 | $15.5M |
| 2025 | 344:1 | $16.3M |
Racial Wealth Gap
- White household median net worth: $285,000 compared to $44,900 for Black households and $61,600 for Hispanic households.
- The white-to-Black wealth ratio is 6.3:1.
- Homeownership rates: 73.8% for white households vs. 45.3% for Black households and 50.6% for Hispanic households.
Income Mobility Statistics
- Only 50% of children born in 1984 earn more than their parents did at the same age, down from 92% for those born in 1940.
- A child born into the bottom 20% has a 7.5% chance of reaching the top 20%.
- Education is the strongest predictor of upward mobility, with college graduates earning a median of 67% more than those with only a high school diploma.
The Bottom Line
Income inequality in the United States in 2026 remains exceptionally high by developed-world standards. The top 1% continue to pull away from the rest of the population in both income and wealth, while the bottom half struggles to build meaningful assets. The CEO-to-worker pay ratio of 344:1 encapsulates the scale of the divide. Whether through policy interventions, educational investment, or structural economic changes, addressing inequality remains one of the defining challenges of our era.