Distribution of Personal Income

These prototype statistics take one of BEA's primary economic indicators—U.S. personal income—and measure how it is distributed across households. This provides a new tool for assessing how households share in the nation's economic growth. The statistics build on at least a decade of BEA research by bringing in new sources of data, including demographic surveys, aggregated tax records, and administrative records.

The first of these prototype statistics were published in March 2020. Statistics on the distribution of disposable personal income were added later that year, along with methodological improvements. In December 2021, the data were extended to cover the years 2000 to 2019, incorporating additional methodological improvements. We will continue to seek feedback on the prototypes before beginning to publish distribution of personal income statistics regularly.