Poverty rates in 2020: The data tells a mixed story for those who are most vulnerable

Poverty rates in 2020: The data tells a mixed story for those who are most vulnerable

9/14/21 8:00PM

A matter of measurement

‍It seems a safe bet that the number of Americans living in poverty would have gone up in 2020, considering all that happened, but the latest data from the US Census Bureau reveals that it's not actually that clear.

The official poverty rate, the threshold of which is about $13,000 in income per individual, did rise last year, to 11.4%. But that measure doesn't account for potential income from various government programs, including stimulus checks (and food and housing assistance). Once those are included, in what's known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure, the rate actually fell last year, to 9.1%.

Optimists and pessimists can probably spin these numbers any way they want. The good news is the stimulus last year seemed to help. The bad news is that the relief stimulus won't last forever.

The global situation is even more sobering, with years of progress in the reduction of extreme poverty likely to have reversed last year.

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