How the American middle class has changed in the past five decades
The share of adults who live in middle-class households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to a new analysis.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The share of adults who live in middle-class households fell from 61% in 1971 to 50% in 2021, according to a new analysis.
Nearly one-in-five middle-income families report receiving unemployment benefits in 2020.
In the United States, the transience of economic status varies significantly across racial and ethnic groups and by level of education.
17% of the global population could be considered middle income in 2020. Most people were either low income (51%) or poor (10%).
The course of the pandemic in India and China will have a substantial effect on changes in the distribution of income at the global level.
See where you fit in the distribution of Americans by income tier and metro area. …
While the size of the U.S. middle class remained relatively stable between 2002 and 2016, financial gains for middle-income Americans were modest compared with those of higher-income households.
Majorities of Americans say the federal government does not provide enough help for older people (65%), poor people (62%) and the middle class (61%). By contrast, nearly two-thirds (64%) say the government provides too much help for wealthy people.
The American middle class is smaller than middle classes across Western Europe, but its income is higher.
The fortunes of the middle classes across Western Europe are moving in different directions. Some nations are experiencing both growing incomes and expanding middle classes, while other nations are witness to stagnant or declining incomes and shrinking middle classes, a new Pew Research Center analysis of 11 Western European countries has found. But in a few other countries studied, the middle-class shares are decreasing even as incomes overall are rising.
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