Index, 1948 = 100
A wider gap = workers produce more than they are paid for
Source: 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (OPHNFB, COMPRNFB)
Charts from United States
Only the charts that use data from this country. Charts with several countries appear under each one of them. (63 charts)
Wages & Productivity
Workers produce more every year. Their pay used to keep up.
Index, 2017 = 100
Higher = a larger share of income goes to workers
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (PRS85006173)
Percent of gross domestic income
Higher = wages make up more of the economy's income
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED (W270RE1A156NBEA)
Index, 1979 = 100
A wider gap = growth is not reaching the typical worker
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (A939RX0Q048SBEA, LES1252881600Q)
Index, 1947 = 100 (after inflation)
A wider gap = growth is not reaching typical incomes
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED (A939RX0Q048SBEA) and U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Table P-2
Percent of married couples with at least one earner
Higher = more couples in that situation
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (chart published by the Tax Foundation, 2010). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Inequality
How income and wealth are shared across Americans.
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 1 = maximum inequality)
Higher = income is shared less equally
Source: U.S. Census Bureau via FRED (GINIALLRF, GINIALLRH)
Percent of national income, before taxes
Higher = a larger share of all income goes to the richest
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world), via Our World in Data (CC BY)
Percent of all personal wealth
Higher = the richest 1% own a larger share of all wealth
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world), via Our World in Data (CC BY)
Income after inflation, index 1973 = 100
A wider spread = incomes at the top grew faster than at the bottom
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Table F-1
Personal income of Black Americans as a percent of White Americans' income
Closer to 100% = a smaller gap between Black and White incomes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Table P-4 ("White" and "Black" until 2001; "White alone" and "Black alone" from 2002)
Inflation & the Dollar
What a dollar buys, and how fast prices rise.
US dollars (1950 = $1.00)
Lower = each dollar buys less
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (CPIAUCSL)
Percent increase in consumer prices since 1913
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (CPIAUCNS)
Index, 1967 = 100
Higher = the same things cost more
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, based on historical statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Index, August 1971 = 100
800 = eight times the price of August 1971
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (CPIUFDSL, CUSR0000SAF113, CUSR0000SEHF01)
U.S. dollars per can
Higher = the same can costs more dollars
Source: Political Calculations, from grocery ads in U.S. newspapers and online, 1897–2023. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Housing
The price of a home, in dollars and in hours of work.
US dollars
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD via FRED (MSPUS)
Hours of work at the federal minimum wage
Higher = a house costs more hours of work
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, HUD and Department of Labor via FRED (ASPUS, FEDMINNFRWG)
Years of income
Higher = a house costs more years of a typical family's income
Source: U.S. Census Bureau and HUD via FRED (ASPUS) and U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Income Table F-7
Debt & Government
How the US government borrows, spends, regulates and votes.
US dollars (trillions)
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Historical Debt Outstanding (FiscalData)
Percent of GDP
Above 100% = the debt is larger than one year of the whole economy's output
Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Federal Reserve via FRED (GFDEGDQ188S, FYGFGDQ188S)
Percent of GDP
Below zero = the government spends more than it collects
Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget via FRED (FYFSGDA188S)
Percent of GDP
When spending is above revenue, the gap is the deficit
Source: U.S. Office of Management and Budget via FRED (FYFRGDA188S, FYONGDA188S)
Total pages
Higher = more federal rules in force
Source: George Washington University Regulatory Studies Center, based on the Office of the Federal Register
Per two-year Congress
Higher = more attempts to end filibusters
Source: U.S. Senate, Cloture Motions
DW-NOMINATE score (positive = more conservative, negative = more liberal)
Further from zero = the party is further from the center
Source: Voteview (Lewis, Poole, Rosenthal and others), UCLA
Billions of US dollars (constant 2024 dollars)
Higher = more aid given in total since 1960
Source: Stephen Semler, based on USAID, the Congressional Research Service, P.L. 118-47 and P.L. 118-50. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
% of people naming each topic
Higher = more people name this as the country's top problem
Source: Gallup polls, smoothed lines from an academic study. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Coleman-Liau index (approximate school grade level)
Higher = longer words and sentences, harder to read
Source: Kansas State University, analysis of political speeches. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Gold, Currencies & Crises
Gold reserves, currency crashes and financial crises around the world.
Thousand metric tons
Higher = more gold held by the government
Source: World Gold Council (chart published by DollarDaze.org). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Billions of U.S. dollars
Lines = dollars held abroad; gold = value of U.S. gold at the official price
Source: Federal Reserve (chart by Voima). Gold converted from tonnes at the official $35 per ounce. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Value in gold (1900 = 100; mark: 1948 = 100)
Lower = the currency buys less gold
Source: 
U.S. Global Investors, with data from Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, ICE Benchmark Administration, Metals Focus and World Gold Council. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Money, Rates & Markets
The money supply, interest rates and stock valuations.
US dollars (trillions)
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System via FRED (M2SL)
Percent per year
Higher = borrowing money costs more
Source: NBER Macrohistory (New York commercial paper, until 1933) and 3-month Treasury bills (from 1934) via FRED; long-term rate from Robert Shiller and 10-year Treasury yields (FRED)
Percent per year
Higher = governments pay more interest to borrow
Source: 
OECD via FRED (IRLTLT01USM156N and equivalents)
Price divided by earnings
Higher = stocks are more expensive relative to company profits
Source: Robert Shiller, Yale University (via datasets/s-and-p-500); data available through 2023
S&P 500 index level divided by average hourly earnings
Higher = stocks cost more hours of a typical worker's pay
Source: Robert Shiller (S&P 500) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (AHETPI)
US dollars (trillions), logarithmic scale
Each step up on the axis = ten times more
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System via FRED (USGSEC)
Index, 1977 = 100
Higher = more contracts traded or more goods produced, compared with 1977
Source: Futures volume: Futures Trading Association (approximate values digitized from a published chart). Industrial production: Federal Reserve (FRED: INDPRO), annual average
Savings & Trade
How much Americans save, and the balance of trade with the world.
Percent (of disposable income / of national income)
Higher = a larger share of income is saved
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED (PSAVERT, W207RC1Q156SBEA)
Percent of GDP
Below zero = the US imports more than it exports
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED (NETEXP, GDP)
Energy
The price of oil and how much energy the world uses.
US dollars per barrel (West Texas Intermediate)
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via FRED (WTISPLC, CPIAUCSL)
Kilowatt-hours per person per year
Higher = each American uses more energy
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (chart published in an essay on the "Henry Adams curve"). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Index, 1960 = 100
A wider gap = the economy produces more with each unit of energy
Source: 
Aggregate of the G7 countries (published chart based on World Bank and OECD data). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Food & Agriculture
What Americans eat, and the farms that feed them.
Pounds per person per year (boneless)
Higher = more of that meat in the American diet
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System
Pounds per person per year (dry weight)
Higher = more of that sweetener in the American diet
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Availability (Per Capita) Data System
Millions of head
Higher = more beef cows on American farms and ranches
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Family & Youth
Marriage, children and the lives of young Americans.
Age in years
Higher = people marry for the first time at an older age
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Table MS-2. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Divorced people per 100 married people
Higher = more people in that age group are divorced
Source: Institute for Family Studies (Wendy Wang), with U.S. Census Bureau data. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Percent of all births
Higher = a larger share of babies is born to unmarried mothers
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (published chart, 1930–2008). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Thousands of families below the poverty line
Higher = more families with children are below the poverty line
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Table 4
Percent living with at least one parent
Higher = more young adults live with their parents
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data
Percent with obesity
Higher = a larger share of children has obesity
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, NHANES (Health E-Stat)
Percent rating the goal "essential" or "very important"
Higher = more freshmen consider that goal important
Source: UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, CIRP Freshman Survey. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Society & Culture
Health, prisons, immigration, education and even language.
Percent of GDP
Higher = health care takes a larger share of the economy
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via FRED (DHLCRC1A027NBEA, GDPA)
Prisoners in state and federal prisons per 100,000 residents
Higher = a larger share of the population is in prison
Source: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1925–2012. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Percent of the total population
Higher = a larger share of residents were born in another country
Source: Migration Policy Institute, tabulation of U.S. Census Bureau data
Percent change since 1970
Above zero = higher than in 1970
Source: Andrew J. Coulson, Cato Institute, with data from NCES and NAEP Long-Term Trend. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Lawyers for every 1,000 residents
Higher = more lawyers relative to the population
Source: American Bar Association and U.S. Census Bureau (published chart, 1850–2010). Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Degrees per year
Higher = more physics doctorates awarded
Source: American Institute of Physics, Statistical Research Center. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Occurrences per million phrases of the same length
Higher = the phrase appears more often in books
Source: Google Books Ngram Viewer, English corpus (3-year smoothing)
% growth since 1970
Higher = more growth since 1970
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; NCHS; Himmelstein/Woolhandler analysis of the Current Population Survey. Approximate values digitized from a published chart
Number per decade
Higher = more shootings or more deaths in the decade
Source: Katsiyannis, Whitford & Ennis (2018), Journal of Child and Family Studies. Values from the table printed in the original chart; the 2010s only go to early 2018