Share of total household income growth attributable to various income groups, 1979–2007

Note: Data are for comprehensive income.

Source: Authors' analysis of Congressional Budget Office (2010)

Documentation and methodology

Underlying data are from the Congressional Budget Office Average Federal Taxes by Income Group, “Sources of Income for All Households, by Household Income Category, 1979 to 2007” [Excel spreadsheet]. Each group’s contribution to overall income growth is calculated by multiplying the change in its average income from 1979 to 2007 by its share of the distribution (where, for example, the share of the distribution for the top 1 percent is .01), and dividing the result by the change in overall average income growth over the same time period. For pretax income calculations of the 90th–<95th percentile and 95th–99th percentile, see Figure 2M notes.