Almost One-half of the Nation's Chronically Poor Are Children
Children made up almost half (48 percent) of the chronically poor during
1992 and 1993, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said today. Over
the same period, the elderly accounted for 11 percent of the chronically
poor. Chronic (or long-term) poverty refers to a situation in which
families stayed below the poverty cutoff every month during 1992 and
1993.
Poverty in the U.S. is based on a familyžs income compared to the
family's poverty threshold, that is determined by the size of the
family, the number of children, and the age of the householder. For
example, the average poverty threshold in 1993 for a family of four was
$14,763.
These findings were published in Dynamics of Economic Well-Being:
Poverty, 1992-1993, Who Stays Poor? Who Doesn't?, P70-55, a report
based on the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The
SIPP is a continuing monthly survey of approximately 20,000 households
across the country. The survey makes it possible to measure movement
into and out of poverty and to distinguish between short-term and
long-term poverty. The SIPP also measures participation in
government-assistance programs, as well as economic well-being.
The report shows that children (persons under 18) were more
likely than non-elderly adults (persons 18 to 64) to remain poor
over a two-year period. According to author T. J. Eller, The
differences in chronic poverty are striking. Eight percent of
children versus 3 percent of non-elderly adults were poor in all
24 months of 1992 and 1993. About 5 percent of the elderly
population (persons 65 and over) were chronically poor during the
same period.
Other findings from the report include:
- About 5 percent of the nationžs population, or 12
million people, were chronically poor in 1992 and 1993.
- Based on annual estimates, about 22 percent of people
who were poor in 1992 were not poor in 1993. People in
married-couple families were more likely to exit
poverty (29 percent) than people in other types of
families (12 percent).
- Half of poverty spells lasted 4.9 months or longer.
(Poverty spells are defined as two or more consecutive
months below the poverty line.)
- Half of poverty spells experienced by African Americans
lasted 6.2 months or longer, compared to 4.6 months or
longer for Whites.
The data presented here were collected in a sample survey, and are therefore subject to sampling variability as well as reporting and coverage errors.