How has the racial disparity changed in America over the last half-century?
While the black-white gap has narrowed in some categories, it’s widened in some and stayed the same in others, according to data compiled from Pew Research.
Here’s a closer look, based on the most recent data available:
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES
There has been significant progress in the narrowing of the high school graduation rate. For example, in 1964, the rate for blacks was only 53 percent of whites; by 2012, it was 93 percent of the white rate.
VOTER TURNOUT
In the 2012 presidential election, President Barack Obama helped blacks not only close the gap in voter turnout, but they exceeded whites for the first time in history.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Since 1960, the gap has narrowed.
MARRIAGE RATES
While marriage rates have fallen for all groups since 1960, they’ve fallen more sharply for blacks than any other group.
INCOME
The income gap between whites and Hispanics and whites and blacks has increased since 1960.
WEALTH
The gap in median wealth has increased since 1984, when the median net worth of black households was 9 percent of whites; in 2011, it was 7 percent of white households.
POVERTY
While the gap has narrowed, blacks are nearly three times as likely to live in poverty than whites.
HOME OWNERSHIP
Little has changed here, with whites still being far more likely to own a home compared to blacks, Hispanics and Asians.
