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------------------------------------------------------------- 
[U.S. Census Bureau] Income Inequality
-------------------------------------------------------------  
A BRIEF LOOK AT POSTWAR U.S. INCOME INEQUALITY 
by Daniel H. Weinberg   
------------------------

Table 1.  Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and
          Top 5 Percent of Families, 1947 to 1994.
Table 2.  Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and
          Top 5 Percent of Households, 1967 to 1994.
Table 3.  Mean Income Received by Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent of
                Households, 1967 to 1994
Table 4.  Average Income-to-Poverty Ratios for Families, by
              Income Quintile, 1967 to 1994.
-------------------------

Are the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer? 

Historical Census Bureau statistics on income can shed some light 
on that debate.  Although the Bureau has been measuring incomes for 
a half-century and a large number of factors have been identified as
contributing to changes in inequality, the root causes are still not
entirely understood.  

The Census Bureau has been studying the distribution of income since 
the late 1940's.  The first income inequality statistics were 
published for families and came from the annual demographic supplement
to the Current Population Survey (CPS).  The most commonly used 
measure of income inequality, the Gini index (also known as the index 
of income concentration)/1/, indicated a decline in family income
inequality of 7.4 percent from 1947 to 1968.  

Since 1968, there has been an increase in income inequality, reaching 
its 1947 level in 1982 and increasing further since then.   
The increase was 16.1 percent from 1968 to 1992 and 22.4 percent 
from 1968 to 1994./2/  

Living conditions of Americans have changed considerably since the 
late 1940's.  In particular, a smaller fraction of all persons 
live in families (two or more persons living together related by 
blood or marriage).  Therefore, starting in 1967, the Census Bureau 
began reporting on the income distribution of households in addition 
to families.  By coincidence, 1968 was the year in which measured 
postwar income was at its most equal for families.  The Gini index 
for households indicates that there has been growing income 
inequality over the past quarter-century.  

Inequality grew slowly in the 1970's and rapidly during the early 
1980's.  From about 1987 through 1992, the growth in measured 
inequality seemed to taper off, reaching 11.9 percent above its 
1968 level.  This was followed by a large apparent jump in 1993, 
partly due to a change in survey methodology./3/  The Gini index 
for households in 1994 was 17.5 percent above its 1968 level. 

Income inequality measures such as the Gini index or shares of 
aggregate income are particularly sensitive to changes in data 
collection measures.  A change that may only affect a relatively 
small number of cases (especially those in the upper end of the 
income distribution) can affect these measures, while having 
virtually no effect on median income.  We are unable to determine 
what fraction of the measured increase in income inequality between 
1992 and 1993 was due to changes in survey administration between 
those two years, though our analysis suggests there was nonetheless 
a real increase in inequality between 1992 and 1993./4/  

The data illustrate the increasing share of aggregate household 
money income received by the highest income quintile (households 
with incomes above $62,841 in 1994)/5/ -- 49.1 percent in 1994 
and 46.9 percent in 1992, up from 42.8 percent in 1968 -- and the
declining share for households in the middle 60 percent and those 
in the bottom quintile (incomes below $13,426)./6/  

During that same period, the share received by households in the 
top 5 percent of the income distribution went from 16.6 percent 
in 1968 to 18.6 percent in 1992 and 21.2 percent in 1994.  

Yet another way to look at the change in inequality involves the 
income at selected positions in the income distribution.  As data 
show, in 1994 dollars the household at the 95th percentile in 1994 
had $109,821 in income, 8.2 times that of the household at the 20th
percentile, which was $13,426 (the comparable 1992 ratio was 7.9)/7/.  

In contrast, in 1968, the household at the 95th percentile had 
but 6.0 times the income of the household at the 20th percentile.  

A parallel way to look at this change examines the average (mean)
household income in each quintile.  The average income of households 
in the top quintile grew from $73,754 in 1968 to $96,240 in 1992 and
$105,945 in 1994.  In percentage terms, this growth was 30 percent 
from 1968 to 1992 and 44 percent from 1968 to 1994.   

During the 1968-1994 period, the average income in the bottom 
quintile grew by only 8 percent, from $7,202 to $7,762 (7 percent 
from 1968 to 1992)/8/.  

Consequently, the ratio of the average income of the top 20 percent 
of households to the average income of the bottom 20 percent went 
from 10.2 in 1968 to 12.5 in 1992 and 13.6 in 1994.  

Yet one more way to look at the income distribution corrects for 
family size changes over the period, by examining the change in 
the ratio of family income to its poverty threshold.  

Poverty thresholds vary by family size and composition reflecting
consumption efficiencies achieved through economies of scale (i.e.,
families of two or more persons can share certain goods such as
housing)./9/  

A ratio of 1.00 thus indicates that the family has an income equal 
to the poverty threshold for its size and composition.  The average 
ratio in the bottom quintile in 1968 was 1.04, while the average in 
the top quintile was 6.13.  

By 1994, these ratios were 0.92 and 9.22, respectively, (and 0.89 
and 8.39 in 1992), also indicating a widening income gap. The 
ratio for the middle quintile also rose, from 2.80 in 1968 to 3.26 
in both 1992 and 1994.  

In sum, when money income is examined, each of these indicators shows
increasing income inequality over the 1968-1994 period.  

But, are there other perspectives that change this story?  

Since 1979, the Census Bureau has examined several experimental 
measures of income.  These measures add the value of noncash 
benefits (such as food stamps and employer contributions to 
health insurance) to, and subtract taxes from, the official money 
income measure.  The Bureau's research in this area/10/ has shown 
that the distribution of income is more equal under a broadened 
definition of income that takes account of the effects of taxes 
and noncash benefits.  

Further, government transfer benefits play a much more equalizing 
role on income than do taxes.  

Nonetheless, while the levels of inequality are lower, this 
alternative perspective does not change the picture of increasing 
income inequality over the 1979-1994 period./11/  

Why are these changes in inequality happening?/12/  

The long-run increase in income inequality is related to changes 
in the Nation's labor market and its household composition.  

The wage distribution has become considerably more unequal with 
more highly skilled, trained, and educated workers at the top 
experiencing real wage gains and those at the bottom real wage 
losses.  

One factor is the shift in employment from those goods- producing
industries that have disproportionately provided high- wage 
opportunities for low-skilled workers, towards services that
disproportionately employ college graduates, and towards low-wage 
sectors such as retail trade.  

But within-industry shifts in labor demand away from less-educated 
workers are perhaps a more important explanation of eroding wages 
than the shift out of manufacturing.  

Also cited as factors putting downward pressure on the wages of
less-educated workers are intensifying global competition and 
immigration, the decline of the proportion of workers belonging
to unions, the decline in the real value of the minimum wage, 
the increasing need for computer skills, and the increasing use 
of temporary workers.  

At the same time, long-run changes in living arrangements have 
taken place that tend to exacerbate differences in household 
incomes.  For example, divorces and separations, births out of 
wedlock, and the increasing age at first marriage have led to a 
shift away from married-couple households and toward single-parent 
and nonfamily households, which typically have lower incomes.  

Also, the increasing tendency over the period for men with 
higher-than-average earnings to marry women with higher-than-average
earnings has contributed to widening the gap between high-income and
low-income ouseholds.  

---------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTACTS  
Income Inequality -- Edward Welniak (301) 763-8576 
Statistical Methods  Tom Moore (301) 457-4215  
Historical tabulations on income and poverty can be found on 
the Census Bureau's Internet site, at http://www.census.gov.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ACCURACY OF THE ESTIMATES  
All statistics in the report are from the Current Population Survey 
and are subject to sampling variability, as well as survey design 
flaws, respondent classification errors, and data processing mistakes. 
The Census Bureau has taken steps to minimize errors, and analytical
statements have been tested and meet statistical standards.  However,
because of methodological differences, use caution when comparing 
these data with data from other sources.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES  
1. The Gini index ranges from 0.0, when every family (household) has 
the same income, to 1.0, when one family (household) has all the 
income and is therefore one way to measure how far a given income
distribution is from equality.  

2. Part of the increase from 1992 to 1994 is due to changes in survey
methodology; see below.  

3. Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) was introduced in
January 1994 to the Current Population Survey.  As part of the March 
1994 supplement, households were permitted to report up to $1 million 
in earnings, up from $300,000, and parallel increases were made in the
reporting limits for selected other income sources.  Both of these 
changes affected the data. Analysis of the 1993 statistics suggests 
that the increase in the maximum amounts that could be reported 
accounts for about 1.8 percentage points or about one-third of the
1992-1993 increase of 5.2 percentage points.  The contribution of 
the change to CAPI to the increase in measured inequality cannot be
determined, but may bring the share of survey methods-related 
changes in inequality to over one-half of the 5.2 percentage points.  
See Paul Ryscavage, "A Surge in Growing Income Inequality?", Monthly
Labor Review, August 1995.  

4. See U.S. Bureau of the Census, Income, Poverty and Valuation of 
Noncash Benefits:  1993, Current Population Reports P60-188, 
Washington DC:  U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1995, and
Ryscavage, op. cit. for a discussion of the 1993 statistics. The Gini
index of inequality did not change significantly between 1993 and 1994. 

5. All dollar amounts are in 1994 dollars and all percentage increases 
are corrected for inflation, as measured by the experimental Consumer
Price Index for Urban Consumers.  (The experimental index uses the 
official methodology adopted in 1983 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
as applied to the 1968-1982 period; see U.S. Bureau of the Census, 
op. cit.,  Appendix A.)  

6. The respective shares of the middle 60 percent and the bottom 20
percent were 53.0 and 4.2 percent in 1968, down to 49.3 and  
3.8 percent in 1992 and 47.3 and 3.6 percent in 1994.  

7. Not significantly different from the 1994 ratio.  

8. Not significantly different from the 1968-1994 percentage change.  

9. Poverty is defined only for families and unrelated individuals, not 
for households.  

10. See U.S. Bureau of the Census, op. cit., and U.S. Bureau of the
Census, Income, Poverty, and The Valuation of Noncash Benefits:  1994,
Current Population Reports P60-189, forthcoming.  

11. There was no significant difference between the percentage changes 
in the Gini index measured using the official income definition and a
comprehensive measure including all income sources except imputed rent 
to owner-occupied dwellings.  

12. This section is based on Paul Ryscavage and Peter Henle, "Earnings
Inequality Accelerates in the 1980's", Monthly Labor Review, December
1990; Sheldon Danziger and Peter Gottschalk (eds.) Uneven Tides: Rising
Inequality in America, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1993; Lynn A.
Karoly and Gary Burtless, "Demographic Change, Rising Earnings 
Inequality, and the Distribution of Personal Well-Being, 1959-89,"
Demography, v. 32, no. 3 (August 1995), 379-405; U.S. Council of 
Economic Advisors, Economic Report of the President, Washington DC: 
U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1992, Chapter 4; and U.S.
Council of Economic Advisors, Economic Report of the President, 
Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, February 1995, 
Chapter 5.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Revised: Tuesday, 25-Feb-97 14:44:52
----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
[U.S. Census Bureau] Income Inequality - Table1
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Table 1.  Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and  
          Top 5 Percent of Families, 1947 to 1994.  
          (Families as of March of the following year.)
  
                        Percent distribution of aggregate income  
             Number  Lowest  Second  Third  Fourth  Highest Top  5  Gini
Year        (thous.)  fifth  fifth   fifth  fifth    fifth  percent ratio
 
1994../21/..69,313     4.2    10.0    15.7   23.3    46.9    20.1   0.426
1993../20/..68,506     4.1     9.9    15.7   23.3    47.0    20.3   0.429
1993../19/..68,506     4.2    10.1    15.9   23.6    46.2    19.1   0.420
1992../18/..68,216     4.3    10.5    16.5   24.0    44.7    17.6   0.404
1992........68,144     4.4    10.5    16.5   24.0    44.6    17.6   0.403
1991........67,173     4.5    10.7    16.6   24.1    44.2    17.1   0.397
1990........66,322     4.6    10.8    16.6   23.8    44.3    17.4   0.396
1989........66,090     4.6    10.6    16.5   23.7    44.6    17.9   0.401
1988........65,837     4.6    10.7    16.7   24.0    44.0    17.2   0.395
1987../17/..65,204     4.6    10.7    16.8   24.0    43.8    17.2   0.393
1986........64,491     4.6    10.8    16.8   24.0    43.7    17.0   0.392
1985../16/..63,558     4.6    10.9    16.9   24.2    43.5    16.7   0.389
1984........62,706     4.7    11.0    17.0   24.4    42.9    16.0   0.383
1983../15/..62,015     4.7    11.1    17.1   24.3    42.8    15.9   0.382
1982........61,393     4.7    11.2    17.1   24.3    42.7    16.0   0.380
1981........61,019     5.0    11.3    17.4   24.4    41.9    15.4   0.369
1980........60,309     5.1    11.6    17.5   24.3    41.6    15.3   0.365
1979../14/..59,550     5.2    11.6    17.5   24.1    41.7    15.8   0.365
1978........57,804     5.2    11.6    17.5   24.1    41.5    15.6   0.363
1977........57,215     5.2    11.6    17.5   24.2    41.5    15.7   0.363
1976../13/..56,710     5.4    11.8    17.6   24.1    41.1    15.6   0.358
1975../12/..56,245     5.4    11.8    17.6   24.1    41.1    15.5   0.357
1974./12/11/55,698     5.5    12.0    17.5   24.0    41.0    15.5   0.355
1973........55,053     5.5    11.9    17.5   24.0    41.1    15.5   0.356
1972........54,373     5.4    11.9    17.5   23.9    41.4    15.9   0.359
1971../10/..53,296     5.5    12.0    17.6   23.8    41.1    15.7   0.355
1970........52,227     5.4    12.2    17.6   23.8    40.9    15.6   0.353
1969........51,586     5.6    12.4    17.7   23.7    40.6    15.6   0.349
1968........50,823     5.6    12.4    17.7   23.7    40.5    15.6   0.348
1967../9/...49,834     5.4    12.2    17.5   23.5    41.4    16.4   0.358
1966../8/...49,214     5.6    12.4    17.8   23.8    40.5    15.6   0.349
1965../7/...48,509     5.2    12.2    17.8   23.9    40.9    15.5   0.356
1964........47,956     5.1    12.0    17.7   24.0    41.2    15.9   0.361
1963........47,540     5.0    12.1    17.7   24.0    41.2    15.8   0.362
1962../6/...47,059     5.0    12.1    17.6   24.0    41.3    15.7   0.362
1961../5/...46,418     4.7    11.9    17.5   23.8    42.2    16.6   0.374
1960........45,539     4.8    12.2    17.8   24.0    41.3    15.9   0.364
1959........45,111     4.9    12.3    17.9   23.8    41.1    15.9   0.361
1958........44,232     5.0    12.5    18.0   23.9    40.6    15.4   0.354
1957........43,696     5.1    12.7    18.1   23.8    40.4    15.6   0.351
1956........43,497     5.0    12.5    17.9   23.7    41.0    16.1   0.358
1955........42,889     4.8    12.3    17.8   23.7    41.3    16.4   0.363
1954........41,951     4.5    12.1    17.7   23.9    41.8    16.3   0.371
1953........41,202     4.7    12.5    18.0   23.9    40.9    15.7   0.359
1952../4/...40,832     4.9    12.3    17.4   23.4    41.9    17.4   0.368
1951........40,578     5.0    12.4    17.6   23.4    41.6    16.8   0.363
1950........39,929     4.5    12.0    17.4   23.4    42.7    17.3   0.379
1949../3/...39,303     4.5    11.9    17.3   23.5    42.7    16.9   0.378
1948........38,624     4.9    12.1    17.3   23.2    42.4    17.1   0.371
1947../2/...37,237     5.0    11.9    17.0   23.1    43.0    17.5   0.376 
NOTES to Table 1:  
1/  [not used] 
2/  Based on 1940 census population controls. 
3/  Implementation of expanded income questions to show wage and salary, 
    farm self-employment and nonfarm self-employment and all other  
    nonearned income separately. 
4/  Implementation of 1950 census population controls. 
5/  Implementation of first hot deck procedure to impute missing income 
    entries (all income data imputed if any missing). 
6/  Implementation of 1960 census population controls. 
7/  Implementation of new procedures to impute missing data only. 
8/  Questionnaire expanded to ask eight income questions. 
9/  Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
10/ Implementation of 1970 population controls. 
11/ Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
    Questionnaire expanded to ask eleven income questions. 
12/ These estimates were derived using pareto interpolation and may 
    differ from published data which were derived using linear 
    interpolation. 
13/ First year medians are derived using both pareto and linear  
    interpolation. Prior to this year all medians were derived using  
    linear interpolation. 
14/ Implementation of 1980 census population controls.  Questionnaire  
    expanded to show 27 possible values from 51 possible sources  
    of income. 
15/ Implementation of Hispanic population weighting controls. 
16/ Recording of amounts for earnings from longest job  
    increased to $299,999. 
17/ Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
18/ Implementation of 1990 census population controls. 
19/ See footnote 20.  To maintain comparability, income data  
    topcoded to 1992 limits. 
20/  Data collection method changed from paper and pencil to  
     computer-assisted interviewing.  In addition, the March 1994 
     income supplement was revised to allow for the coding of different 
     income amounts on selected questionnaire items.  Limits either  
     increased or decreased in the following categories:
     earnings increased to $999,999; Social Security increased  
     to $49,999; Supplemental Security Income and Public Assistance  
     increased to $24,999; Veterans' Benefits increased to $99,999; 
     Child Support and Alimony decreased to $49,999. 
21/ Introduction of new 1990 census sample design.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Revised: Tuesday, 25-Feb-97 14:54:16
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
[U.S. Census Bureau] Income Inequality - Table2
----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Table 2.  Share of Aggregate Income Received by Each Fifth and  
          Top 5 Percent of Households, 1967 to 1994.
          (Households as of March of the following year.   
          Income in CPI-U-X1 adjusted dollars.)
  
                  Income at selected positions (dollars)
   
          Number        Upper limit of each fifth($) 
Year     (thous.) Lowest  Second   Third  Fourth   Top 5%   

1994./14/.98,990  13,426  25,200  40,100  62,841  109,821   
1993./13/.97,107  13,299  25,311  39,786  61,844  107,318   
1993./12/.97,107  13,296  25,293  39,757  61,824  107,295   
1992./11/.96,426  13,309  25,499  40,034  61,273  104,596   
1992......96,391  13,377  25,668  40,140  61,477  104,967   
1991......95,699  13,697  26,115  40,336  61,761  104,893   
1990......94,312  14,174  26,830  41,047  62,597  107,434   
1989......93,347  14,457  27,489  42,249  64,192  109,656   
1988......92,830  14,259  26,934  41,975  63,380  107,285   
1987./10/.91,124  14,089  26,744  41,746  63,093  105,577   
1986......89,479  13,856  26,503  41,132  62,176  104,262   
1985../9/.88,458  13,692  25,761  39,908  60,021   99,173   
1984......86,789  13,551  25,361  39,073  59,023   97,706   
1983../8/.85,290  13,316  24,760  38,001  57,429   94,485   
1982......83,918  13,022  24,766  37,841  56,428   93,146   
1981......83,527  13,198  24,673  38,160  56,418   90,795   
1980......82,368  13,466  25,253  38,716  56,687   91,227   
1979../7/.80,776  14,019  26,035  40,056  58,078   93,847   
1978......77,330  13,872  26,228  39,685  57,717   92,334   
1977......76,030  13,446  25,325  38,602  56,278   89,108   
1976../6/.74,142  13,485  25,124  38,273  55,064   87,323   
1975../5/.72,867  13,185  24,746  37,393  53,690   84,725   
1974./5/4/71,163  13,878  25,742  38,038  55,205   87,378   
1973......69,859  13,872  26,353  39,091  56,470   89,513   
1972......68,251  13,518  26,035  38,485  55,074   88,653   
1971../3/.66,676  13,066  24,909  36,655  52,265   82,999   
1970......64,374  13,230  25,348  36,874  52,609   83,171   
1969......63,401  13,443  25,803  37,313  52,284   81,999   
1968......61,805  13,063  24,766  35,497  49,877   78,031   
1967../2/.60,446  12,248  23,883  33,910  48,343   77,570   
---------------------------- 
 
                   Percent distribution of aggregate income
 
          Number  Lowest Second Third Fourth Highest Top 5   Gini
Year     (thous.)  fifth fifth  fifth  fifth fifth  percent ratio
  
1994./14/.98,990     3.6   8.9   15.0   23.4   49.1   21.2  0.456
1993./13/.97,107     3.6   9.0   15.1   23.5   48.9   21.0  0.454
1993./12/.97,107     3.6   9.1   15.3   23.8   48.2   20.0  0.447
1992./11/.96,426     3.8   9.4   15.8   24.2   46.9   18.6  0.434
1992......96,391     3.8   9.4   15.8   24.2   46.9   18.6  0.433
1991......95,699     3.8   9.6   15.9   24.2   46.5   18.1  0.428
1990......94,312     3.9   9.6   15.9   24.0   46.6   18.6  0.428
1989......93,347     3.8   9.5   15.8   24.0   46.8   18.9  0.431
1988......92,830     3.8   9.6   16.0   24.3   46.3   18.3  0.427
1987./10/.91,124     3.8   9.6   16.1   24.3   46.2   18.2  0.426
1986......89,479     3.8   9.7   16.2   24.3   46.1   18.0  0.425
1985../9/.88,458     3.9   9.8   16.2   24.4   45.6   17.6  0.419
1984......86,789     4.0   9.9   16.3   24.6   45.2   17.1  0.415
1983../8/.85,290     4.0   9.9   16.4   24.6   45.1   17.1  0.414
1982......83,918     4.0  10.0   16.5   24.5   45.0   17.0  0.412
1981......83,527     4.1  10.1   16.7   24.8   44.4   16.5  0.406
1980......82,368     4.2  10.2   16.8   24.8   44.1   16.5  0.403
1979../7/.80,776     4.1  10.2   16.8   24.7   44.2   16.9  0.404
1978......77,330     4.2  10.2   16.9   24.7   44.1   16.8  0.402
1977......76,030     4.2  10.2   16.9   24.7   44.0   16.8  0.402
1976../6/.74,142     4.3  10.3   17.0   24.7   43.7   16.6  0.398
1975../5/.72,867     4.3  10.4   17.0   24.7   43.6   16.6  0.397
1974./5/4/71,163     4.3  10.6   17.0   24.6   43.5   16.5  0.395
1973......69,859     4.2  10.5   17.1   24.6   43.6   16.6  0.397
1972......68,251     4.1  10.5   17.1   24.5   43.9   17.0  0.401
1971../3/.66,676     4.1  10.6   17.3   24.5   43.5   16.7  0.396
1970......64,374     4.1  10.8   17.4   24.5   43.3   16.6  0.394
1969......63,401     4.1  10.9   17.5   24.5   43.0   16.6  0.391
1968......61,805     4.2  11.1   17.5   24.4   42.8   16.6  0.388
1967../2/.60,446     4.0  10.8   17.3   24.2   43.8   17.5  0.399  
--------------------------------------------------------------- 
NOTES to Table 2.  
1/ [not used] 
2/  Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
3/  Implementation of 1970 census population controls. 
4/  Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
    Questionnaire expanded to ask eleven income questions. 
5/  These estimates were derived using pareto interpolation  
    and may differ from published data which were
    derived using linear interpolation. 
6/  First year medians are derived using both pareto and 
    linear interpolation.  Prior to this year all
    medians were derived using linear interpolation. 
7/  Implementation of 1980 census population controls. 
    Questionnaire expanded to show 27 possible values
    from 51 possible sources of income. 
8/  Implementation of Hispanic population weighting controls. 
9/  Recording of amounts for earnings from longest job  
    increased to $299,999. 
10/ Implementation of a new March CPS processing system. 
11/ Implementation of 1990 census population controls. 
12/ See footnote 13.  To maintain comparability, income data  
    topcoded to 1992 limits. 
13/ Data collection method changed from paper and pencil to  
    computer-assisted interviewing.  In addition, 
    the March 1994 income supplement was revised to allow for  
    the coding of different income amounts on selected questionnaire 
    items.  Limits either increased or decreased in the following  
    categories: earnings increased to $999,999; Social Security  
    increased to $49,999; Supplemental Security Income and 
    Public Assistance increased to $24,999; Veterans' Benefits 
    increased to $99,999; Child Support and 
    Alimony decreased to $49,999. 
14/ Introduction of new 1990 census sample design.
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Last Revised: Tuesday, 25-Feb-97 14:52:03
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[U.S. Census Bureau] Income Inequality - Table3
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
Table 3.  Mean Income Received by Each Fifth and Top 5 Percent of       
                Households, 1967 to 1994
          (Households as of March of the following year.   
         Income in 1994 CPI-U-X1 adjusted dollars.) 
 
             Lowest   Second    Third   Fourth Highest     Top 5 
Year          fifth    fifth    fifth    fifth   fifth   percent
  
1994./14/...  7,762   19,224   32,385   50,395  105,945  183,044
1993./13/...  7,602   19,134   32,073   49,843  103,846  178,234
1993./12/...  7,601   19,124   32,060   49,816  101,113  167,408
1992./11/...  7,698   19,205   32,356   49,669   96,240  152,751
1991........  7,903   19,748   32,803   50,006   95,895  149,649
1990........  8,158   20,444   33,768   50,913   98,804  157,335
1989........  8,391   20,797   34,570   52,292  102,221  165,153
1988........  8,148   20,441   34,189   51,681   98,665  155,610
1987./10/...  8,045   20,331   33,991   51,378   97,709  153,940
1986........  8,037   20,084   33,609   50,630   95,831  150,126
1985./9/....  7,984   19,595   32,525   48,925   91,390  140,975
1984........  7,996   19,313   32,005   48,189   88,608  133,757
1983./8/....  7,795   18,887   31,226   46,859   86,032  129,986
1982........  7,756   18,790   31,103   46,258   84,841  128,198
1981........  7,954   18,856   31,237   46,564   83,176  123,600
1980........  8,073   19,316   31,875   46,959   83,728  125,122
1979./7/....  8,239   19,955   32,900   48,281   86,647  132,146
1978........  8,358   19,870   32,808   48,061   85,805  130,605
1977........  8,238   19,250   31,842   46,655   83,198  127,276
1976./6/....  8,178   19,254   31,663   45,982   81,383  123,999
1975./5/....  8,001   18,844   30,916   44,924   79,316  120,364
1974./5/4/..  8,312   19,751   31,830   45,971   81,447  123,800
1973........  8,063   19,988   32,661   46,953   83,271  126,903
1972........  7,730   19,687   32,127   46,119   82,798  128,330
1971./3/....  7,310   19,012   30,826   43,824   77,652  119,100
1970........  7,281   19,359   31,176   43,947   77,810  119,432
1969........  7,361   19,620   31,351   43,911   77,184  118,808
1968........  7,202   19,034   30,186   42,113   73,754  114,189
1967./2/....  6,638   18,098   28,897   40,430   73,267  116,784
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NOTES to Table 3:  See Table 2.
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Last Revised: Tuesday, 25-Feb-97 14:54:56
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-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
[U.S. Census Bureau] Income Inequality - Table4
--------------------------------------------------------------------  
Table 4.  Average Income-to-Poverty Ratios for Families, by             
              Income Quintile, 1967 to 1994.
              (Families as of March of the following year.)
  
           Number of
           families  Lowest   Second   Middle   Fourth    Highest
Year      (thous.)   fifth    fifth    fifth    fifth      fifth  

1994./14/. 69,313     0.92     2.17     3.26     4.67       9.22
1993./13/. 68,506     0.88     2.10     3.19     4.60       9.07
1993./12/. 68,506     0.88     2.10     3.19     4.60       8.79
1992./11/. 68,216     0.89     2.15     3.26     4.55       8.39
1991...... 67,173     0.94     2.22     3.28     4.60       8.40
1990...... 66,322     0.99     2.27     3.35     4.70       8.61
1989...... 66,090     1.01     2.30     3.43     4.79       8.90
1988...... 65,837     0.99     2.27     3.39     4.73       8.48
1987./10/. 65,204     0.99     2.28     3.39     4.68       8.36
1986...... 64,491     0.99     2.25     3.32     4.62       8.16
1985./9/.. 63,558     0.96     2.17     3.20     4.43       7.80
1984...... 62,706     0.95     2.15     3.15     4.38       7.48
1983./8/.. 62,015     0.91     2.07     3.06     4.26       7.13
1982...... 61,393     0.92     2.05     3.01     4.11       6.94
1981...... 61,019     0.99     2.10     3.04     4.14       6.79
1980...... 60,309     1.03     2.17     3.11     4.20       6.82
1979./7/.. 59,550     1.11     2.28     3.25     4.38       7.18
1978...... 57,804     1.12     2.29     3.24     4.36       7.14
1977...... 57,215     1.10     2.21     3.18     4.27       6.91
1976./6/.. 56,710     1.10     2.19     3.14     4.14       6.70 
1975./5/ . 56,245     1.08     2.13     3.04     4.01       6.55
1974./5/4/ 55,698     1.13     2.24     3.11     4.12       6.69
1973...... 55,053     1.12     2.27     3.15     4.19       6.99
1972...... 54,373     1.09     2.22     3.07     4.09       6.90
1971./3/.. 53,296     1.05     2.08     2.89     3.82       6.47
1970...... 52,227     1.04     2.10     2.88     3.80       6.38
1969...... 51,586     1.06     2.13     2.91     3.80       6.35
1968...... 50,823     1.04     2.06     2.80     3.64       6.13
1967./2/.. 50,111     0.97     1.94     2.67     3.51       6.06  
NOTES to Table 4: See Table 2.
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Last Revised: Tuesday, 25-Feb-97 14:56:17
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RRojas Research Unit/RRojas Databank/1997       BACK to TOP