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Economic Security Risk Factor 1. Poverty Rates
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Figure ECON 1. Percentage of Persons in Poverty, by Age: 1959-2002
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Poverty in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222 and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.
- The official poverty rate was 12.1 percent in 2002, an increase over the rate of 11.7 percent in 2001. Even so, the percentage of persons living in poverty in 2002 was below the poverty rates experienced in most of the 1980s and 1990s.
- Children under 18 had a poverty rate of 16.7 percent in 2002, statistically unchanged from 2001. As in past years, the child poverty rate is considerably higher than the overall poverty rate.
- The poverty rate for the elderly (persons ages 65 and over) was 10.4 percent in 2002, an increase over the 2001 rate. This was a lower poverty rate than the rate for children under 18 (16.7 percent) and statistically indistinguishable from that of adults ages 18-64.
- Poverty rates by race are affected by a change in the questionnaire that allows individuals to report one or more races. The poverty rate for individuals reporting black race alone was 24.1 percent, as shown in Table ECON 1; the rate for those reporting black alone or in combination with other races was 23.9 percent (data not shown). Under either measurement, the gap between black and white poverty rates was close to 14 percentage points, slightly higher than the historic low of 13 percentage points in 2000 and 2001; but significantly lower than the early 1990s, when it exceeded 21 percentage points.
Table ECON 1. Percentage of Persons in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity and Age: Selected Years
Calendar Year Related Children All Persons White Black Hispanic Origin Ages 0-5 Ages 6-17 Total Under 18 18 to 64 65 & over 1959 NA NA 22.4 27.3 17.0 35.2 18.1 55.1 NA 1963 NA NA 19.5 23.1 NA NA 15.3 NA NA 1966 NA NA 14.7 17.6 10.5 28.5 11.3 41.8 NA 1969 15.3 13.1 12.1 14.0 8.7 25.3 9.5 32.2 NA 1973 15.7 13.6 11.1 14.4 8.3 16.3 8.4 31.4 21.9 1976 17.7 15.1 11.8 16.0 9.0 15.0 9.1 31.1 24.7 1979 17.9 15.1 11.7 16.4 8.9 15.2 9.0 31.0 21.8 1980 20.3 16.8 13.0 18.3 10.1 15.7 10.2 32.5 25.7 1981 22.0 18.4 14.0 20.0 11.1 15.3 11.1 34.2 26.5 1982 23.3 20.4 15.0 21.9 12.0 14.6 12.0 35.6 29.9 1983 24.6 20.4 15.2 22.3 12.4 13.8 12.1 35.7 28.0 1984 23.4 19.7 14.4 21.5 11.7 12.4 11.5 33.8 28.4 1985 22.6 18.8 14.0 20.7 11.3 12.6 11.4 31.3 29.0 1986 21.6 18.8 13.6 20.5 10.8 12.4 11.0 31.1 27.3 1987 22.3 18.3 13.4 20.3 10.6 12.5 10.4 32.4 28.0 1988 21.8 17.5 13.0 19.5 10.5 12.0 10.1 31.3 26.7 1989 21.9 17.4 12.8 19.6 10.2 11.4 10.0 30.7 26.2 1990 23.0 18.2 13.5 20.6 10.7 12.2 10.7 31.9 28.1 1991 24.0 19.5 14.2 21.8 11.4 12.4 11.3 32.7 28.7 1992 25.7 19.4 14.8 22.3 11.9 12.9 11.9 33.4 29.6 1993 25.6 20.0 15.1 22.7 12.4 12.2 12.2 33.1 30.6 1994 24.5 19.5 14.5 21.8 11.9 11.7 11.7 30.6 30.7 1995 23.7 18.3 13.8 20.8 11.4 10.5 11.2 29.3 30.3 1996 22.7 18.3 13.7 20.5 11.4 10.8 11.2 28.4 29.4 1997 21.6 18.0 13.3 19.9 10.9 10.5 11.0 26.5 27.1 1998 20.6 17.1 12.7 18.9 10.5 10.5 10.5 26.1 25.6 1999 18.0 15.5 11.9 17.1 10.1 9.7 9.8 23.6 22.7 2000 17.8 14.7 11.3 16.2 9.6 9.9 9.5 22.5 21.5 2001 18.2 14.6 11.7 16.3 10.1 10.1 9.9 22.7 21.4 2002 18.5 15.2 12.1 16.7 10.6 10.4 10.2 24.1 21.8 Notes: All persons under 18 include related children (own children, including stepchildren and adopted children, plus all other children in the household who are related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption), unrelated individuals under 18 (persons who are not living with any relatives), and householders or spouses under age 18.
In this table, race categories include those of Hispanic ethnicity. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Whites and Blacks are for persons reporting a single-race only. Persons who reported more than one race are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. For example, the poverty rate of 10.2 percent shown for Whites in 2002 is for “White Alone including Hispanic.” Though not shown, the rate for “White Alone or in Combination with other races” was 10.3 percent and for “White Alone, Non-Hispanic” the rate was 8 percent. American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders also are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately, due to small sample size.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Poverty in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222 and data published online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 2. Deep Poverty Rates
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Figure ECON 2. Percentage of Total Population Below 50 and 100 Percent of Poverty Level 1975-2002Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Poverty in the United States: 2002” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222 and unpublished tables available online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.
- The percentage of the population in “deep poverty” (with incomes below 50 percent of the federal poverty level) was 4.9 percent in 2002, compared to an overall poverty rate of 12.1 percent.
- In general, the percentage of the population with incomes below 50 percent of the poverty threshold has followed a pattern that reflects the trend in the overall poverty rate, as shown in Figure ECON 2. The percentage of people below 50 percent of poverty rose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but then, after falling slightly, rose to a second peak in 1993. The overall poverty rate followed a somewhat similar pattern with more pronounced peaks and valleys.
- Over the past two decades, there has been an overall increase in the proportion of the poverty population in deep poverty. From a low of 28 percent of the poverty population in 1976, this population rose to nearly 41 percent in 2002.
- The total number of poor people in 2002 was 34.6 million, as shown in Table ECON 2. While higher than the previous year, this number was 4.7 million lower than the peak of 39.3 million in 1993.
Table ECON 2. Number and Percentage of Total Population Below 50, 75, 100, and 125 Percent of Poverty Level: Selected Years
Year Total Population (thousands) Below 50 percent Below 75 percent Below 100 percent Below 125 percent Number (thousands) Percent Number (thousands) Percent Number (thousands) Percent Number (thousands) Percent 1959 176,600 NA NA NA NA 39,500 22.4 54,900 31.1 1961 181,300 NA NA NA NA 39,600 21.9 54,300 30.0 1963 187,300 NA NA NA NA 36,400 19.5 50,800 27.1 1965 191,400 NA NA NA NA 33,200 17.3 46,200 24.1 1967 195,700 NA NA NA NA 27,800 14.2 39,200 20.0 1969 199,500 9,600 4.8 16,400 8.2 24,100 12.1 34,700 17.4 1971 204,600 NA NA NA NA 25,600 12.5 36,500 17.8 1973 208,500 NA NA NA NA 23,000 11.1 32,800 15.8 1975 210,900 7,700 3.7 15,400 7.3 25,900 12.3 37,100 17.6 1976 212,300 7,000 3.3 14,900 7.0 25,000 11.8 35,500 16.7 1977 213,900 7,500 3.5 15,000 7.0 24,700 11.6 35,700 16.7 1978 215,700 7,700 3.6 14,900 6.9 24,500 11.4 34,100 15.8 1979 222,900 8,600 3.8 16,300 7.3 26,100 11.7 36,600 16.4 1980 225,000 9,800 4.4 18,700 8.3 29,300 13.0 40,700 18.1 1981 227,200 11,200 4.9 20,700 9.1 31,800 14.0 43,800 19.3 1982 229,400 12,800 5.6 23,200 10.1 34,400 15.0 46,600 20.3 1983 231,700 13,600 5.9 23,600 10.2 35,300 15.2 47,000 20.3 1984 233,800 12,800 5.5 22,700 9.7 33,700 14.4 45,400 19.4 1985 236,600 12,400 5.2 22,200 9.4 33,100 13.6 44,200 18.7 1986 238,600 12,700 5.3 22,400 9.4 32,400 14.0 44,600 18.7 1987 241,000 12,500 5.2 21,700 9.0 32,200 13.4 43,100 17.9 1988 243,500 12,700 5.2 21,400 8.8 31,700 13.0 42,600 17.5 1989 246,000 12,000 4.9 20,700 8.4 31,500 12.8 42,600 17.3 1990 248,600 12,900 5.2 22,600 9.1 33,600 13.5 44,800 18.0 1991 251,200 14,100 5.6 24,400 9.7 35,700 14.2 47,500 18.9 1992 256,500 15,500 6.1 26,200 10.2 38,000 14.8 50,500 19.7 1993 259,300 16,000 6.2 27,200 10.5 39,300 15.1 51,900 20.0 1994 261,600 15,400 5.9 26,400 10.1 38,100 14.5 50,500 19.3 1995 263,700 13,900 5.3 24,500 9.3 36,400 13.8 48,800 18.5 1996 266,200 14,400 5.4 24,800 9.3 36,500 13.7 49,300 18.5 1997 268,500 14,600 5.4 24,200 9.0 35,600 13.3 47,800 17.8 1998 271,100 13,900 5.1 23,000 8.5 34,500 12.7 46,000 17.0 1999 276,200 12,900 4.7 21,800 7.9 32,800 11.9 45,000 16.3 2000 278,900 12,600 4.5 20,500 7.4 31,100 11.3 43,500 15.8 2001 281,500 13,400 4.8 22,000 7.8 32,900 11.7 45,300 16.1 2002 285,300 14,100 4.9 23,100 8.1 34,600 12.1 47,100 16.5 Note: The number of persons below 50 percent and 75 percent of poverty for 1969 are estimated based on the distribution of persons below 50 percent and 75 percent for 1969 taken from the 1970 decennial census.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Poverty in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222, unpublished tables available online at http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html, and 1970 Census of Population, Volume 1, Social and Economic Characteristics, Table 259.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 3. Experimental Poverty Measures
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Figure ECON 3. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures, by Age: 2002
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Poverty in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222, available online at http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-222.pdf, and unpublished CPS data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Three experimental measures of poverty (developed by the Census Bureau in response to the recommendation of a 1995 panel of the National Academy of Sciences) yield poverty rates that are similar to the official poverty measure overall, but differ by age and other characteristics.
- Experimental measures generally show lower poverty rates among children than the official measure, partly because they take into account non-cash benefits that many children receive. Conversely, experimental measures show higher rates of poverty among the elderly than the official measure, in part due to the inclusion of certain out-of-pocket health costs in these measures.
- All three alternative measures shown in Figure Econ 3 take into account geographic adjustments (GA) in housing costs; the measures can also be calculated with no geographic adjustment (NGA), as shown in Tables ECON 3a and 3b. See note to Table ECON 3a.
Table ECON 3a. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures, by Race/Ethnicity and Age: 2002Official Alt1 MSI-NGA Alt2 MIT-NGA Alt3 CMB-NGA Alt1 MSI-GA Alt2 MIT-GA Alt3 CMB-GA All Persons 12.1 12.4 13.0 13.0 12.3 12.8 12.9 Racial/Ethnic Categories Non-Hispanic White 8.0 8.9 9.2 9.4 8.4 8.5 8.8 Non-Hispanic Black 24.1 21.2 22.2 22.3 20.6 21.1 21.3 Hispanic 21.8 21.09 22.7 22.2 23.3 25.4 24.8 Age Categories Children Ages 0-17 16.7 13.8 15.3 14.7 13.9 15.2 14.6 Adults Ages 18-64 10.6 10.8 11.6 11.3 10.8 11.5 11.3 Adults Age 65 and over 10.4 16.7 14.4 17.6 16.0 13.4 16.9 Note: These experimental poverty measures implement changes recommended by a 1995 NAS panel, including: counting non-cash income as benefits; subtracting from income certain work-related, health, and child care expenses; and adjusting poverty thresholds for family size and geographic differences in housing costs. The three alternative measures are similar, except that each account for out-of-pocket medical expenses differently. For the first alternative (“MOOP subtracted from income” or MSI), medical out-of-pocket expenses (MOOP) are subtracted from income. The second alternative, (“MOOP in the threshold” or MIT) increases the poverty thresholds to take MOOP expenses into account. The third measure, CMB for combined methods, combines attributes of the previous two measures. Each of the three measures is calculated with and without accounting for geographic adjustments (GA and NGA). These experimental measures are different from those reported in last year’s report because the Census Bureau changed its methodology based on research conducted to refine the NAS panel’s experimental methods.
Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Non-Hispanic Whites and Non-Hispanic Blacks are for persons reporting a single-race only. Persons who reported more than one race, such as “White and Asian,” are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders also are included in the total for all persons but are
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “Poverty in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-222, available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-222.pdf, and unpublished CPS data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Table ECON 3b. Percentage of Persons in Poverty Using Various Experimental Poverty Measures 1999-2002
1999 2000 2001 2002 Official Measure 11.9 11.3 11.7 12.1 No Geographic Adjustment of Thresholds Medical costs alternative 1 (MSI-NGA) 12.2 12.1 12.4 12.4 Medical costs alternative 2 (MIT-NGA) 12.8 12.7 12.8 13.0 Medical costs alternative 3 (CMB-NGA) 12.9 12.8 13.0 13.0 Geographic Adjustment of Thresholds Medical costs alternative 1 (MSI-GA) 12.1 12.0 12.3 12.3 Medical costs alternative 2 (MIT-GA) 12.7 12.5 12.7 12.8 Medical costs alternative 3 (CMB-GA) 12.8 12.6 12.9 12.9 See above for note and source.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 4. Poverty Rates with Various Means-tested Benefits Included
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Figure ECON 4. Percentage of Total Population in Poverty with Various Means-Tested Benefits Added to Total Cash Income: 1979-2002
Source: Congressional Budget Office tabulations of March CPS data. Additional calculations by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- The official definition of poverty – which includes means-tested cash assistance (primarily TANF and SSI) in addition to pre-tax cash income and social insurance – was 12.1 percent in 2002, as shown in the bold line with empty boxes in Figure ECON 4. Without cash welfare, the 2002 poverty rate would be 12.8 percent, as shown by the top line in the figure above.
- Adding other non-cash, public assistance benefits to this definition has the effect of lowering the percentage of people who have incomes below the official poverty rate. Adding in the value of food and housing benefits reduces the poverty rate to 10.9 percent in 2002.
- When income is defined as including benefits from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and federal taxes, the percentage of the total population in poverty decreases to 10.0 percent in 2002. Taxes have had a net effect of reducing poverty rates since the significant increases in the size of the EITC in 1993 and 1995.
- The combined effect of means-tested cash assistance, food and housing benefits, EITC and taxes was to reduce the poverty rate in 2002 by 2.8 percentage points, as shown in Table ECON 4. Net reductions in poverty rates were somewhat lower during the recession of the early 1980s, and somewhat higher in the mid-1990s, largely due to expansions in the EITC.
Table ECON 4. Percentage of Total Population in Poverty with Various Means-Tested Benefits Added to Total Cash Income: Selected Years
1979 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2000 2002 Cash Income Plus All Social Insurance 12.8 16.0 14.5 13.8 15.6 14.9 13.5 12.0 12.8 Plus Means-Tested Cash Assistance 11.6 15.2 13.6 12.8 14.5 13.8 12.7 11.3 12.1 Plus Food and Housing Benefits 9.7 13.7 12.2 11.2 12.9 12.0 11.3 10.1 10.9 Plus EITC and Federal Taxes 10.0 14.7 13.1 11.8 13.0 11.5 10.4 9.5 10.0 Reduction in Poverty Rate 2.8 1.3 1.4 2.0 2.6 3.4 3.1 2.5 2.8 Note: The four measures of income are as follows: 1) “Cash Income plus All Social Insurance” is earnings and other private cash income, plus social security, workers’ compensation, and other social insurance programs. It does not include means-tested cash transfers; (2) “Plus Means-Tested Assistance” shows the official poverty rate, which takes into account means-tested assistance, primarily AFDC/TANF and SSI; (3) “Plus Food and Housing Benefits” shows how poverty would be lower if the cash value of food and housing benefits were counted as income; and (4); “Plus EITC and Federal Taxes” is the most comprehensive poverty rate shown. EITC refers to the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit, which is always a positive adjustment to income whereas Federal payroll and income taxes are a negative adjustment. The fungible value of Medicare and Medicaid is not included.
Source: Congressional Budget Office tabulations of March CPS data. Additional calculations by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 5. Poverty Spells
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Figure ECON 5. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1993 and 1996 SIPP Panels, by Length of Spell
Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1993 and 1996 panels.
- About half of all poverty spells that began during the 1996 SIPP panel ended within four months, and 80 percent ended within one year. Only 11 percent of all such spells were longer than 20 months.
- Spells of poverty that began between 1993 and 1995 were slightly longer; 47 percent ended within four months and 16 percent were longer than 20 months.
- Poverty spells among adults age 65 and older were more likely to last longer than 20 months (17 percent) than spells among other age groups, as shown in Table ECON 5a.
Table ECON 5a. Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1996 SIPP Panel, by Length of Spell, Race/Ethnicity, and Age
Spells <=4 Months Spells 5-12 Months Spells 13-20 Months Spells >20 Months All Persons 51.3 29.0 8.3 11.4 Racial/Ethnic Categories 51.3 29.0 8.3 11.4 Non-Hispanic White 54.6 28.1 7.6 9.7 Non-Hispanic Black 45.5 27.7 10.1 16.7 Hispanic 46.8 32.9 8.6 11.7 Age Categories Ages 0 to 5 Years 46.8 29.6 10.8 12.9 Ages 6 to 10 Years 47.1 29.7 9.2 14.0 Ages 11 to 15 Years 49.5 30.9 7.9 11.7 Women Ages 16-64 years 50.7 29.3 8.5 11.5 Men Ages 16-64 Years 55.7 28.9 7.0 8.4 Adults Age 65 Years and Older 51.1 23.8 7.7 17.4 Note: Spell length categories are not mutually exclusive. Spells separated by only 1 month are not considered separate spells. Due to the length of the observation period, actual spell lengths for spells that lasted more than 20 months cannot be observed.
Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately.
Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1996 panel.
Table ECON 5b Percentage of Poverty Spells for Individuals Entering Poverty During the 1993 and 1996 SIPP Panels, by Length of Spell and Year
Spells <=4 Months Spells 5-12 Months Spells 13-20 Months Spells >20 Months 1993 Panel All Persons 47.3 28.1 8.9 15.7 1996 Panel All Persons 51.3 29.0 8.3 11.4 Source: Unpublished data from the SIPP, 1993 and 1996 panels.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 6. Child SUPPORT
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Figure ECON 6. Total, Non-AFDC/TANF, and AFDC/TANF Title IV-D Child Support Collections: 1978-2002Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Collections: 2003 TANF Report to Congress (and earlier years), Washington, DC.
- Collections paid through the Child Support Enforcement system (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act) totaled $20.1 billion in 2002, over $1 billion more than in 2001. Since 1990, child support collections grew rapidly, at an average rate of almost $1.1 billion a year.
- In recent years, non-TANF collections have generally increased as a percentage of overall collections by the IV-D program. (Non-TANF collections include collections paid to former TANF families and families with no contact with the welfare system.) However, between 2001 and 2002, the $878 million growth in non-TANF collections was smaller in percentage terms than $302 million growth in TANF collections (5 percent compared to over 11 percent).
- A number of states have opted to pass through some or all of collections to the custodial TANF family, even though the 1996 welfare reform repealed the former requirement for a $50 “pass-through” to families. In recent years, the amount of TANF collections paid to TANF families has been difficult to track because of changes in data reporting forms. Available data suggest these payments declined in fiscal years 1997-2000, with a 100 percent increase shown in fiscal year 2001 and a 122 percent increase in 2002, as shown in Table ECON 6.
- Almost 75 percent of TANF collections (collections on behalf of TANF recipients and for past due support assigned to the state by former TANF recipients) were retained in 2002 to reimburse the state and federal governments for the cost of welfare benefits.
Table ECON 6. Total, Non-AFDC/TANF, and AFDC/TANF Title IV-D Child Support Collections: 1978-2002'
Fiscal Year Total Collections (in millions) Total IV-D Administrative Expenditures Total AFDC/TANF Collections Non-AFDC/TANF Collections Current Dollars Constant '02 Dollars Total Payments to AFDC/TANF Families Federal & State Share of Collections 1978 $1,047 $2,829 $472 $13 $459 $575 $312 1979 1,333 3,307 597 12 584 736 383 1980 1,478 3,288 603 10 593 874 466 1981 1,629 3,300 671 12 659 958 526 1982 1,771 3,349 786 15 771 985 612 1983 2,024 3,676 880 15 865 1,144 691 1984 2,378 4,138 1,000 17 983 1,378 723 1985 2,694 4,520 1,090 189 901 1,604 814 1986 3,249 5,311 1,225 275 955 2,019 941 1987 3,917 6,235 1,349 278 1,070 2,569 1,066 1988 4,605 7,054 1,486 289 1,188 3,128 1,171 1989 5,241 7,647 1,593 307 1,286 3,648 1,363 1990 6,010 8,354 1,750 334 1,416 4,260 1,606 1991 6,886 9,111 1,984 381 1,603 4,902 1,804 1992 7,964 10,228 2,259 435 1,824 5,705 1,995 1993 8,907 11,104 2,416 446 1,971 6,491 2,241 1994 9,850 11,963 2,550 457 2,093 7,300 2,556 1995 10,827 12,794 2,689 474 2,215 8,138 3,012 1996 12,020 13,820 2,855 480 2,375 9,165 3,049 1997 13,364 14,961 2,843 157 2,685 10,521 3,428 1998 14,348 15,805 2,650 152 2,498 11,698 3,585 1999 15,901 17,189 2,482 113 2,368 13,421 4,039 2000 17,854 18,701 2,593 165 2,428 15,261 4,526 2001 18,958 19,237 2,592 332 2,259 16,366 4,835 2002 20,137 20,137 2,893 737 2,156 17,244 5,183 Note: Not all states report current child support collections in all years. Constant dollar adjustments to the 2000 level were made using a CPI-U-X1 fiscal year average price index. Due to changes in data reporting forms, data for fiscal years 1999 and thereafter relating to the Federal and State Share of TANF collections include assistance reimbursement for former TANF families and may not be exactly comparable to that of previous years. The total collection of payments to AFDC/TANF families can also include payments made to Medicaid only recipients.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement, Child Support Collections: 2003 TANF Report to Congress (and earlier years), Washington, DC.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 7. Food Insecurity
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Figure ECON 7. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status: 2002
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2002.- A large majority (89 percent) of American households was food secure in 2002 – that is, showed little or no evidence of concern about food supply or reduction in food intake.
- The prevalence of food insecurity with hunger in 2002 was estimated to be 3.5 percent. During the twelve months ending in December 2002, one or more members of these households experienced reduced food intake and hunger as a result of financial constraints. Food insecurity would be lower measured over a monthly basis.
- An additional 7.6 percent of households experienced food insecurity, but were without hunger, during the twelve months ending in December 2002. Although these households showed signs of food insecurity in their concerns and in adjustments to household food management, little or no reduction in food intake was reported.
- Poor households have a higher rate of food insecurity with hunger (14.3 percent) than the 3.5 percent rate among the general population, as shown in Table ECON 7a. Only 1.5 percent of families with incomes at or above 185 percent of the poverty level showed evidence of food insecurity with hunger.
Table ECON 7a. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status and Selected Characteristics: 2002
Food Secure Food Insecure Total Food InsecureWithout HungerFood InsecureWith HungerAll Households 88.9 11.1 7.6 3.5 Racial/Ethnic Categories Non-Hispanic White 92.0 8.0 5.3 2.6 Non-Hispanic Black 78.0 22.0 14.8 7.2 Hispanic 78.3 21.7 16.0 5.7 Households, by Age Households with Children Under 6 82.2 17.8 14.4 3.4 Households with Children Under 18 83.5 16.5 12.7 3.8 Households with Elderly 93.7 6.3 4.4 1.9 Household Income-to-Poverty Ratio Under 1.00 61.9 38.1 23.8 14.3 Under 1.30 66.3 33.7 21.6 12.1 Under 1.85 70.8 29.2 19.5 9.7 1.85 and over 94.9 5.1 3.6 1.5 Note: Food secure households show little or no evidence of concern about food supply or reduction in food intake. Households classified as food insecure without hunger report food-related concerns, adjustments to household food management, and reduced variety and desirability of diet, but report little or no reduction in food intake. Households classified as food insecure with hunger report recurring reductions in food intake or hunger by one or more persons in the household
Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Household Food Security in the United States, 2002.
Table ECON 7b. Percentage of Households Classified by Food Security Status: 1998-2002
Food Secure Food Insecure Total Food Insecure Without HungerFood Insecure With Hunger1998 88.2 11.8 8.1 3.7 1999 89.9 10.1 7.1 3.0 2000 89.5 10.5 7.3 3.1 2001 89.3 10.7 7.4 3.3 2002 88.9 11.1 7.6 3.5 See above for note and source.
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Economic Security Risk Factor 8. Lack of Health Insurance
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Figure ECON 8. Percentage of Persons without Health Insurance, by Income: 2002
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-223 (March 2003 Current Population Survey). Online: Available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-223.pdf
- Poor persons were twice as likely as all persons to be without health insurance in 2002 (30 percent compared to 15 percent). While the ratio varied across categories, persons with family income at or below the poverty line were more likely to be without health insurance regardless of race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, or age.
- Hispanics were the ethnic group least likely to have health insurance in 2002, among both the general population and those with incomes below the poverty line. While white individuals in general were more likely to have insurance than black individuals, poor black individuals were more likely to have insurance than poor white individuals.
- Among all persons, the amount of education was inversely related to health insurance coverage. However, among poor persons, educational attainment made little difference as to whether individuals had health insurance.
- As shown in Table ECON 8, nearly half of poor people ages 25 to 34 are without health insurance. Among the general population, individuals ages 18 to 24 are the most likely to be without health insurance.
Table ECON 8. Percentage of Persons without Health Insurance, by Income and Selected Characteristics: 2002
All Persons Poor Persons All Persons 15.2 30.4 Male 16.7 33.3 Female 13.9 28.1 White 14.2 31.4 Black 20.2 26.4 Hispanic 32.4 42.8 No High School Diploma 28.0 37.9 High School Graduate, No College 18.8 36.4 College Graduate 8.4 32.3 Age 18 and under 11.6 20.1 Ages 18-24 29.6 43.9 Ages 25-34 24.9 48.6 Ages 35-44 17.7 46.0 Ages 45-64 13.5 33.1 Age 65 and over 0.8 1.9 Note: "Poor persons" are defined as those with total family incomes at or below the poverty rate.
Race categories include those of Hispanic ethnicity. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity may be of any race. Beginning in 2002, estimates for Whites and Blacks are for persons reporting a single-race only. Persons who reported more than one race, such as “White and Asian,” are included in the total for all persons but are not shown under any race category. Due to small sample size, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians and Native Hawaiians/Other Pacific Islanders also are included in the total for all persons but are not shown separately.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, “Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2002,” Current Population Reports, Series P60-223 (March 2003 Current Population Survey). Online: Available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-223.pdf
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