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An Integrated System of U.S. Household Income, Wealth, and Consumption Data and Statistics to Inform Policy and Research

Completed

Increasing income and wealth inequality has characterized the U.S. economy for several decades. While researchers differ on the extent of the increase and its causes, they no longer disagree on the essential phenomenon. Yet the nation's disparate federal statistics make it difficult to accurately measure income and wealth inequality and other aspects of economic well-being for the nation's households and families. This study will review the major income, consumption, and wealth statistics currently produced by U.S. statistical agencies and provide guidance for modernizing and integrating the information to better inform policy and research.

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Consensus

ยท

2024

Many federal agencies provide data and statistics on inequality and related aspects of household income, consumption, and wealth (ICW). However, because the information provided by these agencies is often produced using different concepts, underlying data, and methods, the resulting estimates of pov...

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