American Dream

Fewer Kids Are Better Off Than Their Parents Were

The American Dream is closely connected to the plight of the American middle class. You can measure what the state of affairs is by calculating how many children are earning more than their parents had. As our infographic based on data provided by The Equality of Opportunity Project shows, 90 percent of those born during the Second World War were likely to end up earning more than what their parents did at the age of 30. This has dropped to 50 percent for those born in the 1980s.

Description

This chart shows the share of children earning more than their parent, by year of birth, from 1940 to 1985

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U.S. median household income 1990-2023
U.S. household income distribution 2023
U.S. household income lowest quintile versus top five percent 2023
U.S. median household income 2023, by state
U.S. median household income 1967-2023, by race and ethnicity
U.S. median household income 2023, by race and ethnicity

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