"This is 100% completely unsustainable as a society. Nearly 50% of all consumer spending now comes from the top 10% of earners. The bottom 80%? Their share keeps falling. The wealthiest 10% of Americans account for almost half of all consumer spending, a departure from 20 years ago, when spending was more evenly distributed across income groups."
"In the third quarter of 2025, the top 1% of U.S. households owned a whopping 31.7% of U.S. wealth, according to Federal Reserve data released in January. It's more or less as much as what the bottom 90% of Americans hold, the widest the gap has been since the Fed started collecting data in 1989."
"Wealth concentration at the top has accelerated since the pandemic, driven by booming stock markets and uneven wage growth favoring high earners. Pay for high and middle-income earners rose 3% last year, compared to 1.5% for low-income households, according to a January report from Bank of America."
The U.S. wealth gap has reached unprecedented levels, with the top 1% owning 31.7% of national wealth—equivalent to what the bottom 90% collectively hold. This disparity reflects a K-shaped economy where asset-owning households build wealth while most Americans struggle to accumulate assets. The wealthiest 10% now account for nearly 50% of consumer spending, a significant shift from two decades ago when spending was more evenly distributed. Wealth concentration accelerated post-pandemic due to booming stock markets and uneven wage growth, with high earners receiving 3% raises compared to 1.5% for low-income households. This economic structure creates systemic sustainability concerns affecting both economic performance and national politics.
#wealth-inequality #k-shaped-economy #consumer-spending-disparity #income-gap #economic-sustainability
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