Why are your numbers in the poverty graph different from these from the Census Department? "2021: The official poverty rate was 11.6%, with approximately 37.9 million individuals living in poverty. 2022: The rate slightly decreased to 11.5%, encompassing about 37.9 million people. 2023: The rate further declined to 11.1%, with around 36.8 million individuals in poverty." https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-283.html Doubtless I'm missing something!
Bob, thanks for flagging. I failed to mention that I used the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and not the Official Poverty Measure (OPM). The figures you're citing are OPM. Sorry about that. I'll make a note of that in the text.
Thanks for the clarification. I was curious. I agree the SPM is a better measure. Incidentally, ChatGPT gives the following numbers, which are slightly different from the ones you cited (not significantly!). Just for interest: "The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) provides a broader perspective by accounting for government assistance programs and necessary expenses. Here’s the estimated number of people living in poverty according to the SPM from 2019 to 2023:
• 2019: Approximately 38.0 million people (11.7% of the population). (census.gov) • 2020: About 28.0 million individuals (9.1%), reflecting significant government aid during the pandemic. (census.gov)
• 2021: A record low of 25.2 million people (7.8%), largely due to expanded pandemic relief programs. (census.gov)
• 2022: The SPM poverty rate rose to 41.5 million individuals (12.4%) after the expiration of key pandemic support. (census.gov)
• 2023: Approximately 43.2 million people (12.9%) lived in poverty under the SPM. (census.gov)
Why are your numbers in the poverty graph different from these from the Census Department? "2021: The official poverty rate was 11.6%, with approximately 37.9 million individuals living in poverty. 2022: The rate slightly decreased to 11.5%, encompassing about 37.9 million people. 2023: The rate further declined to 11.1%, with around 36.8 million individuals in poverty." https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60-283.html Doubtless I'm missing something!
Bob, thanks for flagging. I failed to mention that I used the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and not the Official Poverty Measure (OPM). The figures you're citing are OPM. Sorry about that. I'll make a note of that in the text.
The reason why I used SPM (and why SPM was developed in the first place) is because it's a better way to measure poverty. More info here: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2021/09/difference-between-supplemental-and-official-poverty-measures.html
Thanks again for flagging (and for supporting my work!).
Thanks for the clarification. I was curious. I agree the SPM is a better measure. Incidentally, ChatGPT gives the following numbers, which are slightly different from the ones you cited (not significantly!). Just for interest: "The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) provides a broader perspective by accounting for government assistance programs and necessary expenses. Here’s the estimated number of people living in poverty according to the SPM from 2019 to 2023:
• 2019: Approximately 38.0 million people (11.7% of the population). (census.gov) • 2020: About 28.0 million individuals (9.1%), reflecting significant government aid during the pandemic. (census.gov)
• 2021: A record low of 25.2 million people (7.8%), largely due to expanded pandemic relief programs. (census.gov)
• 2022: The SPM poverty rate rose to 41.5 million individuals (12.4%) after the expiration of key pandemic support. (census.gov)
• 2023: Approximately 43.2 million people (12.9%) lived in poverty under the SPM. (census.gov)
I don't but sounds interesting, thanks.