In November 2012 the U.S. Census Bureau said more than 16% of the population lived in poverty in the United States, including almost 20% of American children,[1] up from 14.3% (approximately 43.6 million) in 2009 and to its highest level since 1993. In 2008, 13.2% (39.8 million) Americans lived in poverty.[2]
In 2011, Extreme poverty in the United States, meaning households living on less than $2 per day before government benefits, was double 1996 levels at 1.5 million households, including 2.8 million children.[3] This would be roughly 1.2% of the US population in 2011, presuming a mean household size of 2.55 people. In 2013, child poverty reached record high levels, with 16.7 million children living in food insecure households, about 35% more than 2007 levels.[4] The number of people in the U.S. who are in poverty is approaching 1960s levels that led to the national War on Poverty.[5]
There were about 643,000 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons nationwide in January 2009. Almost two-thirds stayed in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program and the other third were living on the street, in an abandoned building, or another place not meant for human habitation. About 1.56 million people, or about 0.5% of the U.S. population, used an emergency shelter or a transitional housing program between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009.[6]
Poverty is a state of privation, or a lack of the usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions.[7] The most common measure of poverty in the U.S. is the "poverty threshold" set by the U.S. government. This measure recognizes poverty as a lack of those goods and services commonly taken for granted by members of mainstream society.[8] The official threshold is adjusted for inflation using the consumer price index. The government's definition of poverty is based on total income received. For example, the poverty level for 2012 was set at $23,050 (total yearly income) for a family of four.[9] Most Americans (58.5%) will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75.[10] Poverty rates are persistently higher in rural and inner city parts of the country as compared to suburban areas.[11][12]
