US inequality is getting worse in ways you might not expect

The US is experiencing growing wealth inequality, with the top 1% seeing a $8.5 trillion increase in their share of wealth between the first and second quarters of 2026, from 31.7% to 32.5%. This trend has been driven by policy choices, including tax cuts for the wealthy and reductions in safety net programs. The middle class, defined as those between the bottom half and the top 10%, holds only 28.8% of all wealth, despite being 40 times larger than the top 1%. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that policy changes since 2025 have imposed higher costs on everyone except the top 1%.