America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers

Children Experienced Episodic Poverty at Higher Rate Than Adults

Forty-four percent of children experienced poverty for at least two consecutive months, also known as episodic poverty, between 2013 and 2016, according to a recently released U.S. Census Bureau report.

This rate was nearly triple the episodic poverty rate for individuals ages 65 and over.

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The new report, Dynamics of Economic Well-being: Poverty, 2013-2016, includes longitudinal statistics like episodic and chronic poverty and the median length of poverty spells.

It shows the episodic poverty rate was higher (44%) for children (under age 18).

Continue reading to learn more about:

• Chronic poverty
• Lifting out of poverty

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