How many children live in poverty in the U.S.?
ANSWER The percentage of children living in poverty is one of the most global and widely used indicators of child well-being. This is due, in part, to the fact that poverty is linked to numerous undesirable outcomes such as low birth weight, inadequate education and health care, poor emotional well-being, as well as delinquency. The child poverty rate in the United States is among the highest in the developed world. In 1995, 20 percent of children lived below the poverty line ($15,569 for a family of four). One study that examined child poverty rates in 17 developed countries indicates that the child poverty rate in the United States was 50 percent higher than the next highest rate.
