Seven numbers that reveal the past fifty years of income and wealth inequality.

February 5, 2026 Mark Orton Economy, Capitalism, Inequality 0

Why isn’t this a campaign issue?

US GDP1 per capita in 1975 was $28,2142. In 2025, GDP per capita was $69,499.That is a 144% increase, nearly 2 1/2 times.

Meanwhile, in 1975, the median family income was $68,170, but it only grew to $106,000 in 2025. That is a 55% increase.

If the growth in per capita GDP had been spread out over the whole population evenly, the 2025 median family income might have been $166,335!

Where did the growth go?

 

Footnotes

  1. GDP, gross domestic product, is the most common measure of the total output of the economy.
  2. All data points are in inflation-adjusted dollars.

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