Hunger in the United States:
A 1995 study by Tufts University estimates that 20 to 30 million Americans are too poor to meet their monthly expenses and buy enough food to live healthy, productive lives.
In 1994 the Urban Institute in Washington DC estimated that one out of 6 elderly people in the U.S. has an inadequate diet.
In 1993, U.S. Citizens spent about the same amount on cruise ships and theme parks as the Federal Government spent on AFDC. The problem, in fact, is not a lack of money, but a series of decisions on how money gets spent. Enough money is available to end worse case poverty in a few years and enough food to provide everyone in the world with a minimally nutritious diet right now.
Childhood hunger in the United States:
In July 1999, the National Center for Children in Poverty issued a report. Following are some of their findings:
Poverty is becoming more prevalent among young people. Between 1979 and 1995, the number of children under three living in poverty in the United States grew from 1.7 million to 2.8 million, from 18 percent to 24 percent--a 33 percent increase.
Young children are more likely to be poor than any other age group, and that disparity is growing. The poverty rate for children under age three was well over double the rate for adults or the elderly in 1995.
Young children in the United States have about a 50-50 chance of escaping the risks of poverty or near poverty.
The problem of young child poverty extends far beyond the stereotypical image of the poor minority child in an urban setting. The fact that nearly half of all young children live in poverty or near poverty demonstrates that young child poverty is a mainstream problem, affecting children from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, from all types of residential areas, and from all regions of the United States.
* The rate of poverty for children under age three living in suburban areas grew by 61 percent between the late 1970s and early 1990s, whereas the rates of poverty for children in the same age group in urban and rural areas rose by 37 and 47 percent respectively.
* The poverty rate for children under age three has grown twice as fast among whites as among blacks. Although the incidence of young child poverty among whites is relatively low (15 percent) compared to blacks (52 percent), the rate of white children living under age three in poverty grew twice as fast as among blacks (36 percent versus 17 percent) between the late 1970s and the early 1990s.
* The rate of poverty among Hispanic children under age three is high (44 percent) and increasing more rapidly than among other racial and ethnic groups. It has risen by 48 percent since the late 1970s.
Children make up almost half of the population living below the Federal Poverty Line. More than 21 Percent of U.S. children under age 18, and 25 percent of children under age 6, are poor. Sixty-four percent of children under 6, who live in female-headed, single parent families are poor.
The infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate nutrition among pregnant women. The U.S. ranks 23rd among industrial nations in infant mortality. African-American infants die at nearly twice the rate of white infants.
A child living in a wealthy U.S. family is on average, better off financially than the typical wealthy child in any other country. At the same time, the average child in a low-income U.S. family is worse off than the average poor child in 15 other industrialized countries.
One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.
In the U.S. hunger and race are related. In 1991 46% of African-American children were chronically hungry, and 40% of Latino children were chronically hungry compared to 16% of white children.
Poverty is becoming more prevalent among young people. Between 1979 and 1995, the number of children under three living in poverty in the United states grew from 1.7 million to 2.8 million, from 18 percent to 24 percent--a 33 percent increase.
Young children are more likely to be poor than any other age group, and that disparity is growing. The poverty rate for children under age three was well over double the rate for adults or the elderly in 1995.
Young children in the United States have about a 50-50 chance of escaping the risks of poverty or near poverty.
The problem of young child poverty extends far beyond the stereotypical image of the poor minority child in an urban setting. The fact that nearly half of all young children live in poverty or near poverty demonstrates that young child poverty is a mainstream problem, affecting children from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, from all types of residential areas, and from all regions of the United States.
* The rate of poverty for children under age three living in suburban areas grew by 61 percent between the late 1970s and early 1990s, whereas the rates of poverty for children in the same age group in urban and rural areas rose by 37 and 47 percent respectively.
* The poverty rate for children under age three has grown twice as fast among whites as among blacks. Although the incidence of young child poverty among whites is relatively low (15 percent) compared to blacks (52 percent), the rate of white children living under age three in poverty grew twice as fast as among blacks (36 percent versus 17 percent) between the late 1970s and the early 1990s.
* The rate of poverty among Hispanic children under age three is high (44 percent) and increasing more rapidly than among other racial and ethnic groups. It has risen by 48 percent since the late 1970s.
Children make up almost half of the population living below the Federal Poverty Line. More than 21 Percent of U.S. children under age 18, and 25 percent of children under age 6, are poor. Sixty-four percent of children under 6, who live in female-headed, single parent families are poor.
The infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate nutrition among pregnant women. The U.S. ranks 23rd among industrial nations in infant mortality. African-American infants die at nearly twice the rate of white infants.
A child living in a wealthy U.S. family is on average, better off financially than the typical wealthy child in any other country. At the same time, the average child in a low-income U.S. family is worse off than the average poor child in 15 other industrialized countries.
One out of every eight children under the age of twelve in the U.S. goes to bed hungry every night.
In the U.S. hunger and race are related. In 1991 46% of African-American children were chronically hungry, and 40% of Latino children were chronically hungry compared to 16% of white children.
The Growing Income Disparity
According to an August 1999 report from Center on Budget and Policy Priority, the top one-fifth of American households with the highest incomes now earns half of all the income in the United States. Their share has risen since 1997, while the share of one-fifth with the lowest incomes have fallen. Figures have been adjusted for inflation.
HOUSEHOLD GROUPS SHARE OF ALL INCOME* AVERAGE AFTER TAX INCOME (ESTIMATED) CHANGE
1977 1999 1977 1999
One-fifth with lowest income 5.7% 4.2% $10,000 $8,800 -12.0%
Next lowest one-fifth 11.5 9.7 22,100 20,000 -9.5
Middle one-fifth 16.4 14.7 32,400 31,400 -3.1
Next highest one-fifth 22.8 21.3 42,600 45,100 +5.9
One-fifth with highest income 44.2 50.4 74,000 102,300 +38.2
1 percent with highest income 7.3 12.9 234,700 515,600 +119.7
*Figures do not add up to 100 due to rounding. Source: Congressional Budget Office data analyzed by Center on Budget and Policy Priority
The above data from the budget office shows that income disparity has grown so much that four out of five households, or about 217 million people are taking home less than they were in 1997.These figures (adjusted for inflation) show that these households share of national income has fallen to just under 50 percent from 56 percent in 1997.
The 54 million people who make up the most prosperous one-fifth of American households saw their share of the national income grow. More than 90 percent of the increase is going to the richest 1 percent of households. These people will average $515,600 this year as compared to $234,700 in 1977.
The richest 1 percent had as much income as the 38 percent with the lowest incomes. The top 20 percent of households had slightly more income than the bottom 80 percent of households combined.
Another report issued in August 1999 by United for a Fair Economy, deals with the "growing divide" makes some interesting points. Some are listed below:
* If the minimum wage had grown at the same rate as CEO pay between 1990 and 1998, it would now be $22.08 instead of $5.15 an hour.
* CEOs at the 365 largest corporations were paid 419 times the pay of average blue-collar workers ($10.6 million compared with about $25,000), up from a 120-to-1 ratio in 1990.
* In Japan, CEOs make eight times the lowest paid factory worker. This disparity is upsetting many in Japan.
* CEO pay rose by 481 percent while worker pay rose 28 percent, just 5.5 percent more than inflation.
* The Standard and Poor's Index rose 224 percent during this period, and corporate profits rose 108 percent.
The AFL-CIO issued a study in 1999 of young American workers in which they stated:
* "Three-fourths of young workers today are not college graduates. These workers... are living in the shadows of the less popular but more glamorous up-and-coming professional; their experiences and concerns typically are ignored by the popular media and in conventional economic analysis. Their voices are rarely heard. They are in essence, the 'forgotten majority'"