The haves and the have-nots: Identifying typologies of change in relative deprivation using multi-trajectory latent class growth analysis

Relative deprivation theory argues that individuals can perceive themselves to be deprived relative to other individuals (IRD) or that their ingroup is deprived relative to other groups (GRD). Few studies, however, investigate how these distinct ‘types’ of relative deprivation manifest over time. We address this oversight using multi-trajectory latent class growth analysis to identify distinct growth trajectories of relative deprivation across 13 annual waves of a nationwide longitudinal panel study (2011–2023; N_total = 75,073). We identified two discrete classes: the Content class (90.5% of the sample) and the Deprived class (9.5%). Whereas the Content class had low levels of IRD and GRD that declined over 12 years, the Deprived class had moderate levels of IRD that decreased but high levels of GRD that increased over time. Membership in these two classes differed across demographics, well-being and sociopolitical measures. The implications for relative deprivation theory are discussed.