High-income families are seven times as likely to have retirement account savings as low-income families: Share of families age 32–61 with retirement account savings by income quintile, 1995–2016
| 1st (Bottom) | 2nd (Lower-middle) | 3rd (Middle) | 4th (Upper-middle) | 5th (Top) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 10% | 33% | 50% | 68% | 79% |
| 1998 | 15% | 38% | 57% | 69% | 83% |
| 2001 | 17% | 40% | 56% | 77% | 89% |
| 2004 | 9% | 37% | 53% | 74% | 84% |
| 2007 | 12% | 34% | 59% | 76% | 90% |
| 2010 | 12% | 36% | 53% | 68% | 86% |
| 2013 | 8% | 30% | 52% | 69% | 88% |
| 2016 | 13% | 35% | 56% | 76% | 88% |
Note: Retirement account savings include funds in 401(k)-style defined contribution plans and in IRAs. Family-income quintiles are based on "normal income," a measure that ignores temporary fluctuations and is not available for years prior to 1995.
Source: EPI analysis of Survey of Consumer Finance data, 2016.