Americans’ Views of Economic Inequality, Its Causes and Who Should Fix It

About this research

This Pew Research Center report looks at Americans’ views of economic inequality, including what factors they think contribute to it and who they believe should be responsible for reducing inequality. It also explores trends in income and wealth inequality.

Why did we do this?

Pew Research Center does research to help the public, the media and decision-makers understand important topics. This analysis builds on our previous work on economic issues.

Learn more about Pew Research Center.

How did we do this?

The analysis of Americans’ views of economic inequality is based primarily on a Pew Research Center survey of 5,166 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel. The survey is designed to represent the views of all U.S. adults.

Here are the survey questions used for this report, the detailed responses and the survey methodology.

In addition to survey data, the report also examines the trends in the typical income and wealth of lower-, middle- and upper-income households using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other standard government sources.

About six-in-ten Americans (61%) say there is too much economic inequality in the United States, a view that is far more common among Democrats and Democratic leaners than Republicans and GOP leaners (78% vs. 42%).

These figures are unchanged from 2019. But some views about inequality and how to address it have shifted in that time.

Among those who say there is too much economic inequality in the U.S.:

• 35% now say no amount of economic inequality is acceptable, up from 29%.
• 24% now say the economic system needs to be completely rebuilt in order to address this inequality, up from 14%.

Related: Many Americans Are Struggling to Afford Basic Necessities

Both Democrats and Republicans who see too much inequality are now more likely to say the country’s economic system requires major changes or needs to be completely rebuilt in order to address it. Democrats’ views have also shifted on whether any amount of economic inequality is acceptable.

Four-in-ten Democrats who say there is too much economic inequality now say no amount of inequality is acceptable, up from 32% in 2019. A quarter say the economic system needs to be completely rebuilt, up from 14%.

Views on how to address economic inequality have also shifted among Republicans who say there is too much of it. In 2019, 50% of Republicans in this group said the economic system needed major changes to address it, while another 12% said it needed to be completely rebuilt. Those shares stand at 57% and 17% today, respectively.

Confidence that the economic system can be effectively changed to address inequality is low. Among those who say there’s too much inequality and that at least major changes are needed to address it, only about one-in-ten Republicans (11%) and Democrats (8%) are extremely or very confident the economic system can be effectively changed. By contrast, 70% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans are not too or not at all confident.

These findings come as economic issues play a prominent role in both Republicans’ and Democrats’ midterm election campaigns. They are based on a survey of 5,166 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 24-30, 2026, that also explores Americans’ views on:

• Factors that contribute to economic inequality
• Who is responsible for reducing inequality

Read about trends in wealth and income inequality.

What contributes to economic inequality?

Republicans and Democrats who say there is too much economic inequality disagree on what factors contribute to it. For example, 59% of Republicans in this group (versus 28% of Democrats) say the different life choices people make contribute to economic inequality a great deal. Of the possible factors included in the survey, this is among the ones Republicans cite most often.

Among Democrats who say there is too much economic inequality, the U.S. tax system (65%) and insufficient regulation of major corporations (60%) top the list of factors they say contribute a great deal. And more than half (54%) say people starting out with more opportunities than others is a major driver of economic inequality.

Who is responsible for reducing inequality?

More than half of Americans who say there is too much economic inequality in the U.S. think each of the following actors should have a lot of responsibility in reducing it:

• The federal government (72%, up from 66% in 2019)
• State governments (57%, up from 52%)
• Large businesses and corporations (57%, down from 62%)

Nearly half of those who say there’s too much economic inequality (47%) say wealthy individuals should have a lot of responsibility in reducing it. A much smaller share (13%) say the same of churches and other religious organizations. These shares are virtually unchanged from 2019.

Views by party

Among those who say there is too much economic inequality, Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say the federal government, state governments, large businesses and corporations, and wealthy individuals should play a major role in reducing it.

Still, more than half of Republicans in this group (54%) say the federal government should have a lot of responsibility, up from 44% in 2019.