Is it harder to get into the top 1% now?

Is Breaking Into the Top 1% Getting Harder?

Yes — and the numbers suggest it’s not just slightly harder, but significantly so. While making it into the top 10% of earners has become more challenging, the real gap has opened at the very top. Since the income threshold for the top 10% rose by 4%, those at the uppermost levels have seen their financial bar climb much faster.

The threshold for joining the top 1% increased by 7%, more than double the rate of the top 10%. But zoom further in, and the picture becomes even starker. The top 0.1% saw their entry-level income jump by 12%. And for the ultra-elite — the top 0.001% — that threshold soared by a staggering 20%. This isn't just income inequality; it's accelerating inequality.

These figures, drawn from trends up to October 2019, reveal a growing concentration of wealth at the very peak. It's not just that the rich are getting richer — the super-rich are pulling away from everyone else at an increasingly rapid pace. Each tier above the 99th percentile is expanding its lead, making upward mobility more difficult, especially for those trying to break into the rarefied air of the highest echelons.

What does this mean for the average worker? Even strong wage growth may not be enough to close the gap when the goalposts are shifting faster at the top. The dream of joining the 1% isn't just elusive — it's becoming mathematically tougher over time. Economic mobility isn't just about effort anymore; it's increasingly shaped by a system where the highest thresholds rise fastest, leaving most behind.