Poverty and Inequality

Inequality Trends Economic Security Program Successes

Report

A Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality

January 13, 2020 | Chad Stone, Danilo Trisi, Arloc Sherman and Jennifer Beltrán

The years from the end of World War II into the 1970s were ones of substantial economic growth and broadly shared prosperity. Beginning in the 1970s, economic growth slowed and the income gap widened.

Deep Poverty Among Children Rose in TANF’s First Decade, Then Fell as Other Programs Strengthened

February 27, 2020

Blog

Census: Income Gains Uneven Across States, Racial and Ethnic Groups

October 8, 2019

Report

Child Poverty Falls to Record Low, Comprehensive Measure Shows Stronger Government Policies Account for Long-Term Improvement

October 5, 2017

Report

Government’s Pandemic Response Turned a Would-Be Poverty Surge Into a Record Poverty Decline

August 29, 2023 | Danilo Trisi

Report

Deep Poverty Among Children Rose in TANF’s First Decade, Then Fell as Other Programs Strengthened

February 27, 2020 | Danilo Trisi and Matt Saenz

New on this Topic

Report

What to Watch for in Next Week’s Census Data on Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance in 2022

September 7, 2023

Statement

In Pandemic’s Second Year, Government Policies Helped Drive Child Poverty Rate to a Record Low, Cut Uninsured Rate, New Census Data Show

September 13, 2022

Report

What to Know About Next Week’s Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance Figures for 2021

September 8, 2022

Statement

Parrott: Today’s Census Data Show That Vigorous Policies Kept 53 Million People Above Poverty Line in 2020

September 14, 2021

Report

What to Expect in This Week’s Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance Figures for 2020

September 13, 2021

Research Note

Research Note: How the Pandemic Could Skew Official Poverty Figures for 2019

September 8, 2020

Policy Basics

The gap between rich and poor has been growing for decades, reaching levels not seen since the “Roaring ‘20s.”

We track income trends, and we analyze tax and spending proposals for their effects on income inequality. We promote policies that would help offset rising inequality, and we oppose policies that would make inequality worse.

Experts

Claire Zippel

What to Look for in Next Week’s Census Figures on Poverty and Income

On September 16, the Census Bureau will release official statistics on poverty and income in 2014. Several points are worth noting in advance of the...

Breaking Down Barriers to Economic Opportunity

The lack of upward mobility for low- and middle-income children – a product of inequality and poverty – strikes at the heart of the American dream. But several evidence-based policies can boost...

High-Income Households Receive Growing Share of Nation's Income

States Face Wide Income Gaps Between Rich and Poor

Income Gains Widely Shared In Early Postwar Decades But Not Since Then

Estate Tax Repeal = More Inequality + Bigger Deficits

As our new paper explains, the House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to consider a bill this week to repeal the federal estate tax on inherited wealth, just one week after the House Budget...

Wisconsin Law Would Tilt Playing Field Even More Against Workers

My colleague Jared Bernstein recently addressed some of the canards around Wisconsin’s proposed “Right to Work” (RTW) law, which would dilute unions’ bargaining strength by making it harder...

Support for Home Visiting Programs Slated to Expire

A federal-state partnership that supports home visiting programs in every state will expire March 31 unless Congress extends it, jeopardizing programs with a proven record of strengthening high-risk...

State and Local Tax Systems Hit Lower-Income Families the Hardest

In nearly every state, low- and middle-income families pay a bigger share of their income in state and local taxes than wealthy families, a new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic...

Our Big-Picture Look at Inequality

“The broad facts of income inequality over the past six decades are easily summarized,” our newly updated Guide to Statistics on Historical Trends in Income Inequality explains: The years from...

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