SOURCE: Data from the Congressional Budget Office, The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2008 and 2009, July 2012. Compiled by PGPF.
NOTE: Numbers in columns may not add up to 100% because of rounding.
The benefits of American prosperity are not been as widely shared as they once were. Between 1980 and 2000, the share of the economy's income going to the top 1 percent doubled, while the share of income going to the poorest 20 percent of households decreased by almost one-third. Although the recent recession reduced the share of income going to the top 1 percent, that group still commands over 10 percent of the economy's income. Many observers worry that the large disparity between people at the top and bottom of the income distribution could undermine the social cohesion of our democracy.
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Personal Savings, 1950-2011
Shares of Income, 1980 & 2009
Life Expectancy Varies by Income Level
Economic Output, 2000-2022
Household Debt, 1955-2011
Peter G. Peterson Foundation Chart Pack:
The PGPF chart pack illustrates that budget-making involves many competing priorities, limited resources, and complex issues. In this set of charts, we aim to frame the financial condition and fiscal outlook of the U.S. government within a broad economic, political, and demographic context. Download (.PDF)