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 1990-2022
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Share of consumers that are upper or middle class or above in G20 countries 2024
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Number of consumers that are middle class or above in selected cities worldwide 2024
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Consumers that are middle class or above in selected cities worldwide 2024
U.S. household income distribution 2022
U.S. household income lowest quintile versus top five percent 2022

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