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 Share of Net Worth Held by the Top 0.1% (99.9th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) (WFRBSTP1300) from Q3 1989 to Q1 2025 about shares, 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.

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 2023, roughly 1.49 billion adults worldwide had a net worth of less than 10,000 U.S. dollars. By comparison, 58 million adults had a net worth of more than one million U.S. dollars in the same year. Wealth distribution The distribution of wealth is an indicator of economic inequality. The United Nations says that wealth includes the sum of natural, human, and physical assets. Wealth is not synonymous with income, however, because having a large income can be depleted if one has significant expenses. In 2023, nearly 1,700 billionaires had a total wealth between one to two billion U.S. dollars. Wealth worldwide China had the highest number of billionaires in 2023, with the United States following behind. That same year, New York had the most billionaires worldwide.

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.

U.S. Top 1% Wealth Share - Historical chart and current data through 2025.

United States - Share of Nonfinancial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 13.40000 % of Aggregate in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Share of Nonfinancial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 15.40000 in April of 2016 and a record low of 10.80000 in July of 1995. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Share of Nonfinancial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

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

United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 30.80000 % of Aggregate in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 31.10000 in April of 2021 and a record low of 22.50000 in July of 1990. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Share of Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

Data and insights on Wealth Distribution in India - share of wealth, average wealth, HNIs, wealth inequality GINI, and comparison with global peers.

Wealth Cutoff for Top 1% to 0.1% - Historical chart and current data through 2022.

United States - Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 49396697.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 49457457.00000 in October of 2024 and a record low of 4668012.00000 in July of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Total Net Worth Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

United States - Financial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 42789990.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Financial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 42876174.00000 in October of 2024 and a record low of 3808275.00000 in July of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Financial Assets Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on September of 2025.

The wealthiest one percent of people in Russia held nearly 48 percent of the country's net personal wealth, while the top 10 percent controlled over 74 percent of the total in 2022. The share of wealth controlled by the rich in Russia has remained at approximately the same level in recent years. To compare, in 1995, the wealthiest 10 percent accumulated approximately 53 percent of the total wealth in Russia.

This statistic shows the inequality of income distribution in China from 2005 to 2023 based on the Gini Index. In 2023, China reached a score of ************ points. The Gini Index is a statistical measure that is used to represent unequal distributions, e.g. income distribution. It can take any value between 1 and 100 points (or 0 and 1). The closer the value is to 100 the greater is the inequality. 40 or 0.4 is the warning level set by the United Nations. The Gini Index for South Korea had ranged at about **** in 2022. Income distribution in China The Gini coefficient is used to measure the income inequality of a country. The United States, the World Bank, the US Central Intelligence Agency, and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development all provide their own measurement of the Gini coefficient, varying in data collection and survey methods. According to the United Nations Development Programme, countries with the largest income inequality based on the Gini index are mainly located in Africa and Latin America, with South Africa displaying the world's highest value in 2022. The world's most equal countries, on the contrary, are situated mostly in Europe. The United States' Gini for household income has increased by around ten percent since 1990, to **** in 2023. Development of inequality in China Growing inequality counts as one of the biggest social, economic, and political challenges to many countries, especially emerging markets. Over the last 20 years, China has become one of the world's largest economies. As parts of the society have become more and more affluent, the country's Gini coefficient has also grown sharply over the last decades. As shown by the graph at hand, China's Gini coefficient ranged at a level higher than the warning line for increasing risk of social unrest over the last decade. However, the situation has slightly improved since 2008, when the Gini coefficient had reached the highest value of recent times.

As of April 2025, Elon Musk was estimated as the wealthiest person in the United States with a net worth of around 342 billion dollars. Richest people in the United States - additional information Every year since 1982, the American business magazine Forbes has been compiling lists of the 400 richest people in the United States, known as the “Forbes 400.” In addition to that, since 1987, the publication has also been compiling a ranking of the 500 richest people in the world (excluding royalty and dictators), as well as more specialized tops, such as “World's Most Powerful Women,” “America's Richest Families,” “Most Valuable Brands” or “30 Under 30,” which focuses on young entrepreneurs from various fields which have gained millions in the past year by the use of social media, technical innovations and generally new and fresh approaches to business.

United States - Money Market Fund Shares Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 1717527.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Money Market Fund Shares Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 1717527.00000 in January of 2025 and a record low of 109953.00000 in July of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Money Market Fund Shares Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.

United States - Home mortgages Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) was 449060.00000 Mil. of $ in January of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Home mortgages Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) reached a record high of 566601.00000 in July of 2019 and a record low of 75477.00000 in July of 1989. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Home mortgages Held by the Top 1% (99th to 100th Wealth Percentiles) - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on August of 2025.