The 1%'s Share of U.S. Wealth Over Time

What We’re Showing

The share of total net worth held by the top 1% of wealth holders (99th to 100th wealth percentiles) in America, from 1989 to 2024.

Data is from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) platform.

Key Takeaways

• The top 1%’s share of total net worth has increased from 22.8% to 30.8% between 1989 and 2024.
• Wealth distribution within the top 1% is also concentrated. The top 0.1% account for 13.8% of total net worth, with the remaining 0.9% making up a 17% share.
• As of Q3 2024, the total net worth held by the top 1% amounts to $49.24 trillion.
• Meanwhile, the bottom 50% (1st to 50th wealth percentiles) hold just 2.8% of the share of total net worth, down from 3.5% in 1989.