Child poverty in America has increased by 18% in the past decade leaving one in five below the poverty line, according to a new study by the Annie E Casey Foundation.
That means 15 million children are living in poverty. The reasons for this increase are cited as the recession causing 12% unemployment and home repossessions as people are unable to meet mortgage repayments.
The report authors also add that a higher income level of $43,512 for a family of four should be used to define poverty – twice the rate used by the US government – as “a minimum needed for most families to make ends meet”.
That would mean that 31 million children, or 42% of the total, live in poverty.
