Anatomy of US Inequality

Oded Galor and Daniel Wainstock

No 26003, RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series from ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin)

Abstract: Is income inequality in the United States primarily driven by disparities between ethnic groups or within them? The evidence reveals a striking pattern: 96% of U.S. income inequality arises from variation within groups sharing common ancestral origins, far overshadowing the comparatively small share attributable to differences between these groups. This pattern remains remarkably stable across time and regions.

Keywords: Inequality; Ethnicity; Within Group Inequality; Between Group Inequality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 J15 O15 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01
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Working Paper: Anatomy of US Inequality (2025)
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