In the first quarter of 2025, almost two-thirds percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10 percent of earners. In comparison, the lowest 50 percent of earners only owned 2.5 percent of the total wealth. Income inequality in the U.S. Despite the idea that the United States is a country where hard work and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps will inevitably lead to success, this is often not the case. In 2023, 7.4 percent of U.S. households had an annual income under 15,000 U.S. dollars. With such a small percentage of people in the United States owning such a vast majority of the country’s wealth, the gap between the rich and poor in America remains stark. The top one percent The United States was the country with the most billionaires in the world in 2025. Elon Musk, with a net worth of 342 billion U.S. dollars, was among the richest people in the United States in 2025. Over the past 50 years, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio has exploded, causing the gap between rich and poor to grow, with some economists theorizing that this gap is the largest it has been since right before the Great Depression.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLT01026) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

In the third quarter of 2024, the top ten percent of earners in the United States held over ** percent of total wealth. This is fairly consistent with the second quarter of 2024. Comparatively, the wealth of the bottom ** percent of earners has been slowly increasing since the start of the *****, though remains low. Wealth distribution in the United States by generation can be found here.

Brazil is one of the most unequal countries in terms of income in Latin America. In 2022, it was estimated that almost 57 percent of the income generated in Brazil was held by the richest 20 percent of its population. Among the Latin American countries with available data included in this graph, Colombia came in first, as the wealthiest 20 percent of the Colombian population held over 59 percent of the country's total income.

In the first quarter of 2024, 51.8 percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by members of the baby boomer generation. In comparison, millennials own around 9.4 percent of total wealth in the U.S. In terms of population distribution, there is almost an equal share of millennials and baby boomers in the United States.

In the first quarter of 2024, almost two-thirds percent of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10 percent of earners. In comparison, the lowest 50 percent of earners only owned 2.5 percent of the total wealth. Income inequality in the U.S. Despite the idea that the United States is a country where hard work and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps will inevitably lead to success, this is often not the case. In 2023, 7.4 percent of U.S. households had an annual income under 15,000 U.S. dollars. With such a small percentage of people in the United States owning such a vast majority of the country’s wealth, the gap between the rich and poor in America remains stark. The top one percent The United States follows closely behind China as the country with the most billionaires in the world. Elon Musk alone held around 219 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Over the past 50 years, the CEO-to-worker compensation ratio has exploded, causing the gap between rich and poor to grow, with some economists theorizing that this gap is the largest it has been since right before the Great Depression.

In 2021, about **** million individuals in North America had financial assets worth at least *********** U.S. dollars. This equaled to a combined worth of about ***** trillion U.S. dollars, an increase from ***** trillion U.S. dollars in 2020.

This map shows households within high ($200,000 or more) and low (less than $25,000) annual income ranges. This is shown as a percentage of total households. The data is attached to tract, county, and state centroids and shows:Percent of households making less than $25,000 annuallyPercent of households making $200,000 or more annuallyThe data shown is household income in the past 12 months. These are the American Community Survey (ACS) most current 5-year estimates: Table B19001. The data layer is updated annually, so this map always shows the most current values from the U.S. Census Bureau. To find the layer used in this map and see the full metadata, visit this Living Atlas item.These categories were constructed using an Arcade expression, which groups the lowest census income categories and normalizes them by total households.

Graph and download economic data for Net Worth Held by the Bottom 50% (1st to 50th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLB50107) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about net worth, wealth, percentile, Net, and USA.

Uruguay and Chile were the Latin American countries with the highest wealth per adult. In 2021, an Uruguayan adult had, on average, ****** U.S. dollars worth of financial and non-financial assets, whereas Chileans' mean wealth stood at ****** dollars per adult. Argentina was the country with the lowest average wealth in the region, at only ****** dollars per adult.

Based on the degree of inequality in income distribution measured by the Gini coefficient, Colombia was the most unequal country in Latin America as of 2022. Colombia's Gini coefficient amounted to 54.8. The Dominican Republic recorded the lowest Gini coefficient at 37, even below Uruguay and Chile, which are some of the countries with the highest human development indexes in Latin America. The Gini coefficient explained The Gini coefficient measures the deviation of the distribution of income among individuals or households in a given country from a perfectly equal distribution. A value of 0 represents absolute equality, whereas 100 would be the highest possible degree of inequality. This measurement reflects the degree of wealth inequality at a certain moment in time, though it may fail to capture how average levels of income improve or worsen over time. What affects the Gini coefficient in Latin America? Latin America, as other developing regions in the world, generally records high rates of inequality, with a Gini coefficient ranging between 37 and 55 points according to the latest available data from the reporting period 2010-2023. According to the Human Development Report, wealth redistribution by means of tax transfers improves Latin America's Gini coefficient to a lesser degree than it does in advanced economies. Wider access to education and health services, on the other hand, have been proven to have a greater direct effect in improving Gini coefficient measurements in the region.

Inequality in family wealth is high, yet we know little about how much and how wealth inequality is maintained across generations. We argue that a long-term perspective reflective of wealth’s cumulative nature is crucial to understand the extent and channels of wealth reproduction across generations. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics that span nearly half a century, we show that a one decile increase in parental wealth position is associated with an increase of about 4 percentiles in offspring wealth position in adulthood. We show that grandparental wealth is a unique predictor of grandchildren’s wealth, above and beyond the role of parental wealth, suggesting that a focus on only parent-child dyads understates the importance of family wealth lineages. Second, considering five channels of wealth transmission — gifts and bequests, education, marriage, homeownership, and business ownership — we find that most of the advantages arising from family wealth begin much earlier in the life-course than the common focus on bequests implies, even when we consider the wealth of grandparents. We also document the stark disadvantage of African-American households in terms of not only their wealth attainment but also their intergenerational downward wealth mobility compared to whites.

Graph and download economic data for Minimum Wealth Cutoff for the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBLTP1311) from Q3 1989 to Q3 2022 about wealth, percentile, and USA.

The Overview of Latin America Wealth Management Industry is segmented by Client Type (HNWI, Retail/ Individuals, Mass Affluent and Others), Wealth Management Firm Type (Private Bankers, Family Offices and Others) and Geography (Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and the Rest of Latin America). The report offers Market size and forecasts for Latin America Wealth Management Market in value (USD Million) for all the above segments.

Amongst the selected Latin American countries, Mexico registered the largest average wealth of billionaires, at 8.97 billion U.S dollars in 2020. By contrast, the rest of the adult population had an average wealth of 41,530 dollars. This represented a wealth ratio of billionaires/general population of 216,079:1. Nevertheless, it was Argentina the nation with the largest inequality in the distribution of wealth. Billionaires' wealth in this South American country was equal to 3.7 percent of the national GDP.

The statistic shows the results of a survey carried out among wealthy or ultra wealthy Americans in 2014. When asked about their thoughts around wealth perception, 52 percent stated that they did not consider themselves to be wealthy, despite their net worth.

Graph and download economic data for Households; Net Worth, Level (BOGZ1FL192090005Q) from Q4 1987 to Q1 2025 about net worth, Net, households, and USA.

This archive contains replication data and code for "Ideology of Affluence: Rich Americans' Explanations for Inequality and Redistributive Attitudes."

The Latin American wealth management market, valued at $1.18 billion in 2025, is projected to experience steady growth, driven by a rising high-net-worth individual (HNWI) population, increasing disposable incomes, and a growing awareness of sophisticated wealth management strategies. The market's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.34% from 2025 to 2033 indicates a consistent, albeit moderate, expansion. Key growth drivers include the increasing financial sophistication of the region's affluent population, coupled with a demand for personalized financial planning and investment solutions tailored to the unique economic and political landscape of Latin America. This is further fueled by a growing entrepreneurial class and favorable regulatory changes in some key markets, promoting foreign investment and fostering the growth of private banking and family office services. The segment breakdown shows a significant contribution from HNWIs, while Private Bankers and Family Offices are the dominant players in the wealth management firm type segment. Brazil is expected to be the largest market within the region, followed by other key countries like Chile, Peru, and Colombia, each with unique growth dynamics influenced by local economic conditions and regulatory environments. While market growth is projected to be stable, competitive pressures amongst established international players (Credit Suisse, UBS, Morgan Stanley) and strong local players (BTG Pactual, Itaú Private Bank, Bradesco) will be key factors in determining the success and market share of individual firms. Growth will be influenced by macroeconomic conditions, political stability, and investor sentiment within each country. For instance, economic fluctuations in Brazil can significantly impact the overall market performance. The penetration of digital wealth management platforms is expected to gradually increase, presenting both opportunities and challenges for traditional players. Challenges include adapting to changing client expectations and investing in technological infrastructure. Successful firms will need to demonstrate a deep understanding of local market nuances and provide tailored services to meet the specific needs and risk profiles of their clientele in a region characterized by diverse economic landscapes and investment preferences. The continued growth potential of Latin America's wealth management sector hinges on addressing these challenges and capitalizing on the unique opportunities presented by this dynamic market. Recent developments include: In 2021, BTG Pactual hired a private banker from the Swiss private bank Credit Suisse for its Miami wealth management business. Leonardo Brayner joined the Brazilian group after having spent 11 years at Credit Suisse's offices in The Bahamas, where he most recently served as a vice president of wealth management on its client service desk., In 2021, Credit Suisse made a USD 400 million cash distribution, in line with its announcement that Credit Suisse would repay some of the money from the closed Greensill supply chain funds. The money will be paid to the investors in the bank's Virtuoso SICAV-SIF funds. Credit Suisse's four Virtuoso SICAV-SIF funds were invested in the supply chain funds.. Notable trends are: Alternative Assets To Boom In Latin America.

Graph and download economic data for Minimum Wealth Cutoff for the 99th to 99.9th Wealth Percentiles (WFRBL99T999309) from Q3 1989 to Q3 2022 about wealth, percentile, and USA.