University of Michigan sociology professor Fabian Pfeffer, whose research specialties include wealth inequality, was among a number of economists and wealth inequality experts who told us the federal figures used in the study are the best for assessing wealth in the population. He told us that the wealth gap is much greater in the United States than in other Western industrialized nations. ¶¶Pfeffer said the top 5% hold more than 70% of all net worth in the United States. That’s compared to 44% in Austria and Sweden, and lower figures in other comparable nations.