Poverty in America

Here you will find some of the resources used in the production of The Economist’s film, “Why is there still poverty in America?”, along with exclusive additional material. It is part of the “The Story Behind”, a film series that reveals the processes that shape our video journalism.

BY THE official poverty measure, there were 40m poor Americans in 2017, or 12% of the population. America also does a worse job than its peers of helping the needy (see chart). In a special report, The Economist explored what poverty in America looks like today.

The best way to eradicate poverty in America is to focus on children - The Economist, September 26th 2019

Poverty in America has long-lasting, destructive consequences on children - The Economist, September 26th 2019

American poverty continues to affect people of colour most - The Economist, September 26th 2019

Poverty rate - OECD Data

Assessing the problem

The official measure of poverty in America is inherently flawed. It does not take cost of living into account, nor does it include benefits, meaning that the poverty-reducing effects of the earned-income tax credit or food stamps is ignored (see chart below). The nature of poverty has also changed: in recent years, it has moved from cities to the suburbs.

The official way America calculates poverty is deeply flawed - The Economist, September 26th 2019

American poverty is moving from the cities to the suburbs - The Economist, September 26th 2019

Poverty Factsheet: Suburban Poverty - Institute for research on poverty, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Re-Emergence of Concentrated Poverty: Metropolitan Trends in the 2000s - Berube et al., Brookings Institution, 2011

The solutions

Children are the likeliest age group to experience poverty—there are nearly 13m impoverished children in America today. A new war on poverty would be most effective if it was centred on young people, argues Idrees Kahloon, the author of The Economist’s special report on poverty in America. Watch an extended excerpt from our interview with him where he explains why, and why it hasn’t been a top priority for politicians today.

Progress is possible in America’s ongoing war on poverty - The Economist, September 26th 2019

How much can enterprise and philanthropy help alleviate American poverty? - The Economist, September 26th 2019

What are the major federal safety net programs in the U.S.? - Centre for Poverty Research, University of California, Davis

On Friday 4th October at 1:00pm GMT there will be a live question and answer session on The Economist’s YouTube channel around the topic of poverty in America. Go to the channel to submit your questions.