| Highest | Upper Middle | Middle | Lower middle | Lowest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4 | 10 | 61 | 9 | 16 |
| 1981 | 3 | 12 | 59 | 9 | 17 |
| 1991 | 5 | 12 | 56 | 9 | 18 |
| 2001 | 7 | 11 | 54 | 9 | 18 |
| 2011 | 8 | 12 | 51 | 9 | 20 |
% of Americans in each income tier
Year
%
Sources:
pewsocialtrends.org
Share:
| Highest | Upper Middle | Middle | Lower middle | Lowest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4 | 10 | 61 | 9 | 16 |
| 1981 | 3 | 12 | 59 | 9 | 17 |
| 1991 | 5 | 12 | 56 | 9 | 18 |
| 2001 | 7 | 11 | 54 | 9 | 18 |
| 2011 | 8 | 12 | 51 | 9 | 20 |
Throughout the history of the United States, the middle class has remained a staple of American society. A recent study by Pew Research, however, found just how much the middle class is losing ground. Over the last 40 years, the percent of the American public living within the middle economic tier has decreased substantially. Now, only one in two Americans belong to the middle class.