Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth
and Top 5 Percent of Families, 1947 to 1997
YEAR lowest second third fourth highest highest
fifth fifth fifth fifth fifth 5%







1947 5 11.9 17 23.1 43 17.5
1948 4.9 12.1 17.3 23.2 42.4 17.1
1949 4.5 11.9 17.3 23.5 42.7 16.9
1950 4.5 12 17.4 23.4 42.7 17.3
1951 5 12.4 17.6 23.4 41.6 16.8
1952 4.9 12.3 17.4 23.4 41.9 17.4
1953 4.7 12.5 18 23.9 40.9 15.7
1954 4.5 12.1 17.7 23.9 41.8 16.3
1955 4.8 12.3 17.8 23.7 41.3 16.4
1956 5 12.5 17.9 23.7 41 16.1
1957 5.1 12.7 18.1 23.8 40.4 15.6
1958 5 12.5 18 23.9 40.6 15.4
1959 4.9 12.3 17.9 23.8 41.1 15.9
1960 4.8 12.2 17.8 24 41.3 15.9
1961 4.7 11.9 17.5 23.8 42.2 16.6
1962 5 12.1 17.6 24 41.3 15.7
1963 5 12.1 17.7 24 41.2 15.8
1964 5.1 12 17.7 24 41.2 15.9
1965 5.2 12.2 17.8 23.9 40.9 15.5
1966 5.6 12.4 17.8 23.8 40.5 15.6
1967 5.4 12.2 17.5 23.5 41.4 16.4
1968 5.6 12.4 17.7 23.7 40.5 15.6
1969 5.6 12.4 17.7 23.7 40.6 15.6
1970 5.4 12.2 17.6 23.8 40.9 15.6
1971 5.5 12 17.6 23.8 41.1 15.7
1972 5.4 11.9 17.5 23.9 41.4 15.9
1973 5.5 11.9 17.5 24 41.1 15.5
1974 5.5 12 17.5 24 41 15.5
1975 5.4 11.8 17.6 24.1 41.1 15.5
1976 5.4 11.8 17.6 24.1 41.1 15.6
1977 5.2 11.6 17.5 24.2 41.5 15.7
1978 5.2 11.6 17.5 24.1 41.5 15.6
1979 5.2 11.6 17.5 24.1 41.7 15.8
1980 5.1 11.6 17.5 24.3 41.6 15.3
1981 5 11.3 17.4 24.4 41.9 15.4
1982 4.7 11.2 17.1 24.3 42.7 16
1983 4.7 11.1 17.1 24.3 42.8 15.9
1984 4.7 11 17 24.4 42.9 16
1985 4.6 10.9 16.9 24.2 43.5 16.7
1986 4.6 10.8 16.8 24 43.7 17
1987 4.6 10.7 16.8 24 43.8 17.2
1988 4.6 10.7 16.7 24 44 17.2
1989 4.6 10.6 16.5 23.7 44.6 17.9
1990 4.6 10.8 16.6 23.8 44.3 17.4
1991 4.5 10.7 16.6 24.1 44.2 17.1
1992 4.3 10.5 16.5 24 44.7 17.6
1993 4.1 9.9 15.7 23.3 47 20.3
1994 4.2 10 15.7 23.3 46.9 20.1
1995 4.4 10.1 15.8 23.2 46.5 20
1996 4.2 10 15.8 23.1 46.8 20.3
1997 4.2 9.9 15.7 23 47.2 20.7
Source: (quintile data) http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/f02.html



 
Changes in the Distribution of Household Wealth*, US:  1962-97**
Wealth Class Share of Wealth*    Change
1962  1983  1989  1995  1997**  1962-83  1983-89  1989-95  1989-97** 
Top Fifth 81.0  81.3  83.5 83.7  84.3  0.4  2.2  0.2  0.8 
Top 1% 33.4  33.8  37.4  37.6  39.1  0.3  3.6  0.2  1.8 
Next 4% 21.2  22.3  21.6  22.3  22.3  1.2  -0.8  0.7  0.7 
Next 5% 12.4  12.1  11.6  11.7  11.4  -0.2  -0.5  0.1  -0.2 
Next 10% 14.0  13.1  13.0  12.1  11.5  -0.9  -0.1  -0.8  -1.5 
Bottom  
Four-fifths 19.0  18.7  16.5  16.3  15.7  -0.4  -2.2  -0.2  -0.8 
Fourth 13.4  12.6  12.3  11.5  10.8  -0.8  -0.2  -0.8  -1.5 
Middle 5.4  5.2  4.8  4.5  4.4  -0.2  -0.4  -0.3  -0.4 
Second 0.9  1.2  0.8  0.9  1.0  0.2  -0.3  0.0  0.1 
Lowest -0.7  -0.3  -1.5  -0.7  -0.5  0.4  -1.2  0.8  1.0 
Total 100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0  100.0   
*Net worth
**1997 figures are estimates
Source:  "Recent Trends in Wages, Incomes, and Wealth in the United States" by John Schmitt, Lawrence Mishel, and Jared Bernstein.  Data comes from Wolff (1998)