Poverty and Inequality

Inequality Trends Economic Security Program Successes

Report

Government’s Pandemic Response Turned a Would-Be Poverty Surge Into a Record Poverty Decline

August 29, 2023 | Danilo Trisi

Public programs transformed what, without the programs, would have been a near-record surge in poverty in the COVID-19 recession into a record one-year overall poverty decline in 2020 and a record one-year decline in children's poverty in 2021.

Recovery Proposals Adopt Proven Approaches to Reducing Poverty, Increasing Social Mobility

August 5, 2021

Blog

After Child Tax Credit Payments Begin, Many More Families Have Enough to Eat

August 30, 2021

Report

Economic Security Programs Reduce Overall Poverty, Racial and Ethnic Inequities

July 1, 2021

Research Note

Economic Security Programs Significantly Reduce Poverty in Every State

August 10, 2021 | Matt Saenz

Report

Income Support Associated With Improved Health Outcomes for Children, Many Studies Show

May 27, 2021 | Samantha Waxman, Arloc Sherman and Kris Cox

New on this Topic

Report

Social Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program

June 2, 2023

Statement

Parrott: Today’s Census Data Show That Vigorous Policies Kept 53 Million People Above Poverty Line in 2020

September 14, 2021

Data

Program Participation Data Dashboard

January 29, 2021

Report

Deep Poverty Among Children Rose in TANF’s First Decade, Then Fell as Other Programs Strengthened

February 27, 2020

Policy Brief

Deep Poverty Among Children Rose in TANF’s First Decade, Then Fell as Other Programs Strengthened

February 27, 2020

Statement

Greenstein: More Americans Uninsured, Though Progress on Poverty Continues

September 10, 2019

Policy Basics

Economic security programs, which include SNAP, unemployment benefits, and the Earned Income Tax Credit, have a significant impact in reducing poverty and promoting opportunity for millions of low-income people in the U.S.

We educate policymakers, media, and others about economic security program successes. We also analyze tax and spending proposals for their impact on these programs and on the tens of millions of low-income individuals and families that rely on them to make ends meet.

Child Poverty Falls to Record Low, Comprehensive Measure Shows Stronger Government Policies Account for Long-Term Improvement

The child poverty rate fell to a record low of 15.6 percent in...

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