Figure A
Economic inequality skyrocketed after 1979: Real household market income growth, 1979–2022
| Year | Middle | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 1980 | 95.7 | 96.5 |
| 1981 | 94.3 | 95.4 |
| 1982 | 92.0 | 100.7 |
| 1983 | 90.2 | 109.6 |
| 1984 | 96.5 | 122.1 |
| 1985 | 96.8 | 129.2 |
| 1986 | 99.0 | 174.9 |
| 1987 | 98.4 | 137.1 |
| 1988 | 100.3 | 170.1 |
| 1989 | 101.0 | 159.5 |
| 1990 | 100.8 | 152.9 |
| 1991 | 98.2 | 138.1 |
| 1992 | 98.1 | 155.7 |
| 1993 | 98.1 | 149.4 |
| 1994 | 99.2 | 154.9 |
| 1995 | 102.1 | 171.1 |
| 1996 | 102.9 | 188.8 |
| 1997 | 105.0 | 216.9 |
| 1998 | 107.8 | 246.9 |
| 1999 | 110.3 | 267.6 |
| 2000 | 109.5 | 291.6 |
| 2001 | 110.0 | 228.9 |
| 2002 | 106.9 | 201.2 |
| 2003 | 106.2 | 213.7 |
| 2004 | 110.4 | 256.1 |
| 2005 | 112.0 | 310.9 |
| 2006 | 112.8 | 340.8 |
| 2007 | 116.8 | 352.1 |
| 2008 | 111.7 | 286.7 |
| 2009 | 106.8 | 222.7 |
| 2010 | 105.0 | 260.6 |
| 2011 | 104.9 | 253.2 |
| 2012 | 105.4 | 313.2 |
| 2013 | 107.7 | 269.2 |
| 2014 | 110.7 | 302.9 |
| 2015 | 115.1 | 318.9 |
| 2016 | 116.2 | 299.2 |
| 2017 | 118.2 | 326.4 |
| 2018 | 120.2 | 326.8 |
| 2019 | 125.6 | 319.1 |
| 2020 | 123.2 | 359.9 |
| 2021 | 124.2 | 477.8 |
| 2022 | 126.2 | 377.0 |
Note: Average market incomes for non-elderly households ranked by pre-tax, pre-transfer income deflated to 2025$ using the extended chained CPI-U.
Source: Author's analysis of Congressional Budget Office, "The Distribution of Household Income, 2022," 2026.
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