Archive · 30 Sep 2026
Wealth Gains Widen Gap Between Rich and Ultrawealthy
The richest people have made a lot of money from the stock market recently.
Their gains are larger than all the wealth owned by the bottom half of Americans combined.
People in the bottom half have also gained wealth, especially compared with their earlier situation.
Higher home prices helped increase what many households own.
Government aid during the pandemic also helped people save money and pay off debt.
Even so, the bottom half owns only a small share of the country’s total wealth.
Their average household has about $63,000.
A household among the richest 0.1% has more than 3,000 times as much wealth.
Recent stock-market gains among the ultrawealthy exceed the roughly $4 trillion held by the bottom 50% of Americans.
The bottom half has experienced the largest percentage increase in wealth among the groups discussed.
Rising home values and pandemic-era government relief helped increase savings and reduce debt for lower-wealth households.
The bottom 50% holds only 2.3% of total national wealth, averaging about $63,000 per household.
A household in the top 0.1% holds more than 3,000 times the wealth of an average bottom-half household.
- Who
- The ultrawealthy, the top 0.1% of households, and the bottom 50% of Americans.
- What
- The wealth gap is widening as the ultrawealthy’s stock-market gains greatly exceed the total wealth of the bottom half.
- When
- Recently, with some contributing gains linked to the pandemic era.
- Where
- The United States.
- Why
- Stock-market gains have disproportionately benefited the ultrawealthy, while lower-wealth households’ gains from home values and government relief have not substantially increased their share of total wealth.
- Bottom-half total wealth
- About $4 trillion
- Bottom-half wealth share
- 2.3% of national wealth
- Average bottom-half household wealth
- About $63,000
- Top 0.1% comparison
- The average household holds over 3,000 times the wealth of an average bottom-half household
- Main recent driver for the ultrawealthy
- Stock-market gains
- Factors helping the bottom half
- Rising home values and pandemic-era government relief