For decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 30 million Americans were living in “poverty,” but the bureau’s definition of poverty differs widely from that held by most Americans.
In fact, other government surveys show that most of the persons whom the government defines as “in poverty” are not poor in any ordinary sense of the term. The overwhelming majority of the poor have air conditioning, cable TV, and a host of other modern amenities. They are well housed, have an adequate and reasonably steady supply of food, and have met their other basic needs, including medical care.
Some poor Americans do experience significant hardships, including temporary food shortages or inadequate housing, but these individuals are a minority within the overall poverty population.
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The difference between 2000 and 2015 in one image. http://t.co/FJKP6XylLA—
Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) March 05, 2015
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Figure 1: Growth in real average income for the bottom 90%
Source: voxeu.org
By the way, in the countries where growth in real average incomes appears to have flattened out, is it seriously suggested that middle-class families cannot buy a basket of goods of superior quality and quantity than they could 30 or 40 years ago?
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