1 in 5 Children Live in Poverty in U.S.

[Alan C.]

1 in 5 Children Live in Poverty in U.S.

 

One in five children under age 18, or 21.3%, are living in poverty in the United States, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.In 2012, there were 15,437,000 children under 18 years old, or 21.3%, who were classified in the “below poverty” threshold, according to the Census.“The incidence of poverty rates varies widely across the population according to age, education, labor force attachment, family living arrangements, and area of residence, among other factors. Under the official poverty definition, an average family of four was considered poor in 2012 if its pre-tax cash income for the year was below $23,492,” according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report entitled, Poverty in the United States: 2012.

 

. . .

 

The Census has been tracking these data since 1959, when the percentage of children under 18 living in poverty was 26.9%. In 1964, when then-President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the War on Poverty, the percentage of children living in poverty was 22.7%. Since then until now, the percentage has decreased by only 6.2%.“In 2012, over one in five children (21.3%) in the United States, some 15.4 million, were poor – both their poverty rate and estimated number poor were statistically unchanged from 2011,” said the CRS report.  “The lowest recorded rate of child poverty was in 1969, when 13.8% of children were counted as poor.”“Children living in single female-headed families are especially prone to poverty,” says the report.  “In 2012, a child living in a single female-headed family was well over four times more likely to be poor than a child living in a married-couple family. In 2012, among all children living in single female-headed families, 47.2 % were poor.”“In contrast, among children living in married-couple families, 11.1% were poor,” said the CRS report. “The increased share of children who live in single female-headed families has contributed to the high overall child poverty rate.”

 

Half of Americans Can't Afford Their House

 

Over half of Americans (52%) have had to make at least one major sacrifice in order to cover their rent or mortgage over the last three years... These sacrifices include getting a second job, deferring saving for retirement, cutting back on health care, running up credit card debt, or even moving to a less safe neighborhood or one with worse schools.

[fractional slacker]

If by poverty you only measure taxable income, those stats might be true. If you measure via consumption, I would argue those stats are meaningless.

[tasmlab]

I may be daft, but isn't poverty measured by a quintile of the bell curve anyways?  I.e., the definition of poverty is set by what the poorest 20% (or whatever) is earning?  

[Alan C.]

Bear in mind that the article defines 'poor' as a family of four living on an income of under $23.5K. It's difficult enough for one person to live on that, let alone four.

 

Obviously, it depends upon where the family is living as some places are less expensive than others.

[WizWom]

"Poverty" in sense of not having sufficient food, clothing or shelter is nonexistent in the US unless by choice, and that is easily less than 1%.And most parents are not so prideful as to make their children live on the streets.