Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in United States
United States: Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank was 14.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
14.9%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
41st
of 109 countries
All-time high
20.3%
in 1917
All-time low
7.7%
in 1970
Years of data
112
1913–2024
Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in United States, 1913–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in United States is 14.9%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in United States peaked at 20.3% in 1917 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1970.
United States ranks 41st of 109 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 112 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 19.1% | — |
| 1914 | 19.3% | +1.2% |
| 1915 | 18.5% | -4.2% |
| 1916 | 19.9% | +7.6% |
| 1917 | 20.3% | +2.2% |
| 1918 | 17.6% | -13.3% |
| 1919 | 19.3% | +9.4% |
| 1920 | 16.5% | -14.3% |
| 1921 | 16.5% | -0.1% |
| 1922 | 16.0% | -3.2% |
| 1923 | 15.0% | -5.8% |
| 1924 | 16.0% | +6.4% |
| 1925 | 18.0% | +12.3% |
| 1926 | 19.1% | +6.3% |
| 1927 | 18.4% | -3.7% |
| 1928 | 19.3% | +5.1% |
| 1929 | 18.9% | -2.2% |
| 1930 | 16.0% | -15.3% |
| 1931 | 13.7% | -14.6% |
| 1932 | 13.2% | -3.2% |
| 1933 | 13.9% | +4.8% |
| 1934 | 16.0% | +15.5% |
| 1935 | 16.1% | +0.7% |
| 1936 | 16.9% | +5.1% |
| 1937 | 16.4% | -3.4% |
| 1938 | 14.6% | -11.0% |
| 1939 | 16.2% | +11.1% |
| 1940 | 17.0% | +5.2% |
| 1941 | 16.3% | -4.2% |
| 1942 | 14.8% | -9.3% |
| 1943 | 12.6% | -14.7% |
| 1944 | 10.3% | -18.4% |
| 1945 | 9.1% | -12.0% |
| 1946 | 9.9% | +9.5% |
| 1947 | 10.3% | +3.8% |
| 1948 | 11.7% | +14.0% |
| 1949 | 11.7% | -0.3% |
| 1950 | 11.5% | -2.0% |
| 1951 | 10.8% | -5.8% |
| 1952 | 10.4% | -3.2% |
| 1953 | 9.8% | -6.5% |
| 1954 | 9.9% | +1.8% |
| 1955 | 10.5% | +5.2% |
| 1956 | 9.8% | -6.9% |
| 1957 | 9.7% | -0.8% |
| 1958 | 9.1% | -5.8% |
| 1959 | 9.5% | +4.5% |
| 1960 | 9.1% | -4.0% |
| 1961 | 8.9% | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 9.5% | +6.0% |
| 1963 | 9.7% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 9.8% | +1.9% |
| 1965 | 9.7% | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 9.6% | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 9.0% | -6.3% |
| 1968 | 9.0% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 8.2% | -9.2% |
| 1970 | 7.7% | -6.0% |
| 1971 | 8.1% | +4.9% |
| 1972 | 8.1% | +0.2% |
| 1973 | 8.3% | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 7.7% | -6.9% |
| 1975 | 8.0% | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 7.8% | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 8.1% | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 8.6% | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 8.1% | -5.6% |
| 1981 | 8.7% | +7.9% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +4.1% |
| 1983 | 9.6% | +5.7% |
| 1984 | 10.4% | +8.2% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 10.0% | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 11.1% | +11.3% |
| 1988 | 13.1% | +17.8% |
| 1989 | 12.6% | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 12.5% | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 11.4% | -8.9% |
| 1992 | 12.1% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 11.3% | -6.9% |
| 1994 | 11.1% | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 11.4% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 11.9% | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | +4.9% |
| 1998 | 12.7% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 13.0% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 13.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 13.5% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 14.6% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 14.1% | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 13.3% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 14.7% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 15.8% | +7.1% |
| 2013 | 14.6% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 14.9% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 15.3% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 15.1% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 14.3% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 14.9% | +0.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 14.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.1%, 1.6× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 19.1% | 17.6% | 20.3% | 7 |
| 1920s | 17.4% | 15.0% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1930s | 15.3% | 13.2% | 16.9% | 10 |
| 1940s | 12.4% | 9.1% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 1950s | 10.1% | 9.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 9.3% | 8.2% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.0% | 7.7% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.3% | 8.1% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.0% | 11.1% | 13.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.7% | 13.2% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.9% | 14.4% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 13.8% | 14.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in United States?
- Income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank in United States was 14.9% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 1917.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1970.
- How does United States rank for income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank?
- United States ranks 41st out of 109 countries with data for 2024.
- Is income share of the richest 1%: world inequality database vs. world bank rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1%: World Inequality Database vs. World Bank. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 112 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured after taxes and benefits.