MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Poverty rate in the US steady at 15%, which represents 46.5 million people
Of all age groups, the under 18 are the most likely to be living in poverty The U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday that median household income in the United States in 2012 was 51,017 dollars and the official poverty rate was 15%, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than in 2007. Neither figure represents a statistically significant change from 2011.
The decline in the percentage of people without healthcare coverage, however, was significant.
Weighted for inflation, the Office of Management and Budget defined the average poverty threshold for a family of four as 23.492 dollars. That means that 46.5 million people in the US were living at or below the poverty line.
Of all age groups, children (under age 18) were most likely to be living in poverty, with 21.8% of them, or 16.1 million kids, living in poverty last year.
In 2012, 263.2 million (84.6%) had health insurance, up from 260.2 million in 2011. Most significantly, about 400,000 fewer children under 18 went without health insurance in 2012.
The percentage of people covered under government health care -- specifically Medicare -- saw the most significant jump (from 15.2% in 2011 to 15.7%), but Medicaid still covers more people than Medicare.
Tuesday's figures come from Current Population Survey. The Census Bureau is expected to release community-specific data from the American Community Survey Thursday.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsPoverty is all over the world,
Sep 18th, 2013 - 07:13 pm 0But to be fair, in what is called a modern 21st century society
Poverty should by now be extinct, and thus concentrating on the 3rd / 4rth world countries,
But if the world’s riches nations suffer huge amounts of poverty, what real chance of elimination of poverty in other less unfortunate countries….
Justa thought..
.
Poverty will never be eliminated because of those greedy 1 percenters. They believe that they should not be taxed any different from those earning 50K per year than those earning 50 million per year....flat tax. On the surface it is fear......but the residual income of when one lives on is not the same. Poverty will never be fixed as long as the 1 percenters controls policies.......not all 1 percenters but the vast majority. Greed has taken over entrepreneurialship in capitalism.
Sep 19th, 2013 - 09:29 am 0@1 says the upper class boy.
Sep 19th, 2013 - 04:05 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!