Poverty in the United States is becoming more common every year. According to the World Bank, the global poverty rate is defined as income less than $1.25 an hour. According to statistics, almost 32.5% of the US population lives below the poverty line.

About 44 million US citizens are paid less than the average living wage. Since the early 2000s, against the background of major bankruptcies, the economic situation of the United States has gradually deteriorated. Today's Americans have fewer opportunities to defend their vital interests, such as the right to get quality healthcare and good retirement savings.

In 2022, economic security will remain the main challenge for the country. Over the past 20 years, US society has seen a period of almost complete lack of control over operations in the banking and financial markets, both from Congress and the White House. Banks got the opportunity to use the savings of Americans in very risky transactions. 

The ratio of rich to poor

The United States is among the leaders in terms of the ratio of the number of the richest people to the poorest. One of the main problems in the United States is wealth inequality. According to unofficial data, 8% of the richest people live in the country. This leads to the accumulation of social protest. Segregation still exists. The country's authorities and society are trying to buy off poor citizens with the help of various benefits. Despite this, a huge number of people are forced to live at the lowest social level without any prospects.

How poor people live in the US

Currently, the US population is trying to get out of another economic crisis, due to which the unemployment rate has risen sharply. According to statistics, in 2021, there were about 46 million poor people in the US. Please, get some facts below:

● 4 out of 6 Americans approaching the poverty line are forced to live on welfare.
● 1/3 of the US population receives food help, which is subsidized by the federal budget.
● 60% of public school students cannot afford to eat in the school cafeteria.
● About 20% of poor people in the US have a negative net worth. This means that the total amount of their debt exceeds the number of funds they have.
● 6% of the poor are pensioners. This applies to those people who have little work experience.
● Most of the US’s poor people live in trailers or special shelters. The ratio of homeless people living in boxes is approximately 7:4.

What benefits do poor Americans have?

Owing to the benefits from the state, the poor people in the US live a little better than their counterparts in other countries. If a person's annual income is less than $11,000, he/she receives a credit card. Every month, the card is funded with $240 that can be spent on food. In addition to money for food, the poor are entitled to an allowance for daily needs.