News
Why the Poverty Rate Isn't Going Down
Op-ed by
Elise Gould, Economic Policy Institute
Annette Case, Insight Center for Community Economic Development
New Census data show the poverty rate held steady in 2014.
Last week, the Census released new data on income and poverty. The official poverty measure is an important metric, one that tells us what share of people live in extreme economic deprivation in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Since it’s been in place for nearly 50 years and has been measured fairly consistently, the official poverty measure paints a picture of poverty over time. We know that the share of Americans living at or below the poverty line fell in the 1960s and stayed within a small range over the last four decades or so, generally rising in recessions and falling in expansions. Since 2000, it’s seen a lot more up than down. It held steady in 2014—remaining at 14.8 percent.
