Rising inequality has done more than a slowing economy to hurt income growth: Bottom 90 percent household income growth since 1979, compared with the overall average and growth assuming a pre-1979 growth rate
| Date | Bottom 90 actual | Average actual | Average under pre-1979 growth rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| 1980 | -3.26% | -2.92% | -2.51% |
| 1981 | -3.84% | -3.17% | -2.35% |
| 1982 | -5.49% | -3.64% | -2.41% |
| 1983 | -6.60% | -3.97% | -2.33% |
| 1984 | -1.39% | 1.11% | 3.16% |
| 1985 | -1.35% | 1.84% | 4.29% |
| 1986 | 2.02% | 4.90% | 7.76% |
| 1987 | 1.45% | 7.42% | 10.69% |
| 1988 | 3.05% | 11.95% | 15.62% |
| 1989 | 4.60% | 13.40% | 17.49% |
| 1990 | 4.59% | 13.48% | 17.98% |
| 1991 | 3.26% | 10.99% | 15.89% |
| 1992 | 4.11% | 13.92% | 19.23% |
| 1993 | 5.39% | 14.05% | 19.77% |
| 1994 | 6.52% | 15.67% | 21.80% |
| 1995 | 9.65% | 19.82% | 26.36% |
| 1996 | 10.74% | 22.19% | 29.14% |
| 1997 | 12.73% | 25.34% | 32.70% |
| 1998 | 16.48% | 29.73% | 37.50% |
| 1999 | 19.48% | 34.04% | 42.21% |
| 2000 | 19.25% | 35.26% | 43.84% |
| 2001 | 18.85% | 33.39% | 42.38% |
| 2002 | 16.51% | 29.33% | 38.73% |
| 2003 | 16.88% | 30.65% | 40.46% |
| 2004 | 20.89% | 35.78% | 46.00% |
| 2005 | 22.72% | 40.23% | 50.85% |
| 2006 | 24.53% | 43.86% | 54.89% |
| 2007 | 27.51% | 46.27% | 57.71% |
| 2008 | 23.19% | 40.21% | 52.06% |
| 2009 | 21.56% | 35.86% | 48.12% |
| 2010 | 22.18% | 37.98% | 50.65% |
| 2011 | 21.15% | 36.33% | 49.40% |
Source: Author's analysis of Congressional Budget Office data