Facts About Poverty

Number of people living in poverty in less developed countries in 2000: 334 million
Projected number of people living in poverty in less developed countries in 2010: 471 million

Number of people in the world: 6.5 billion
Number of people in the world living on less than $2 a day: 3 billion
Number of people at the beginning of the 21st century unable to read: one billion
Number of children worldwide who die each day due to poverty: 30,000
Number of children in the world: 2.2 billion
Number of children in the world living in poverty: 1 billion

Number of people living in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: 471 million
Number of people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia living on less than $1 a day: 24 million
Number of people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia living on less than $2 a day: 97 million

Estimated number of children age 14 and under working in sub-Saharan Africa in 2004: 49 million
Percentage of sub-Saharan Africans living on less than $1 a day: 44

Number of people in South Asia who do not have access to safe water: 240 million
Number of people in South Asia who do not have proper sanitation: half a billion

Number of Americans living in poverty today: 37 million
Poverty rate in the U.S.: 12.6 percent
Percentage of children in the total U.S. population: 25
Percentage of children in the U.S. poor population: 34.9
Percentage of children under six living in poor families with only a female householder: 52.9
Yearly earnings of a single parent of two young children working full-time in a minimum wage job: $10,712
Poverty threshold set by the federal government for one person: $9,973
Poverty threshold set by the federal government for a family of three: $15,577
Poverty threshold set by the federal government for a family of four: $19,971
The increase of poor people in the U.S. from 2000 to 2005: 6 million

Percentage of children living in poverty who have at least one parent working full-time and year-round: 55
Number of children in the above category: 15.6 million

Adults (18-64 yrs. old) currently living in poverty in the United States: 1 in 10
Seniors (over 65 yrs. old) who live in poverty in the United States: 1 in 10
Children (under 18 yrs. old) living in poverty: 2 in 10
Percentage of children who make up the total population: 25
Percentage of poor Americans who are children: 34.9
Percentage of homeless families who have 1 child, 2 children, and three or more children respectively: 26, 28, 30
Percentage of the homeless population who have a high school diploma: 62
Percentage of the homeless population who are employed: 44

Number of Alabama counties that fell below 65% of U.S. per capita income in 1999: 17

Percentage of Alabama workers who lose their jobs annually because they are academically or technologically unable to keep up: 30

In 2003, 3rd graders in Alabama did not surpass the national average on Stanford Achievement tests in any of the tested areas: math, reading or language.

Adapted from Leon-Guerrero, Ann. 2005. Social Problems: Community, Action and Social Policy. Pine Forge Press.

Only 38% of households in Alabama have internet access. Alabama ranks 48th out of the 50 states in the percentage of households with internet access. (Source: US Census Bureau 2003).
Alabama ranks 3rd (tied with Alaska) out of the 50 states for the highest three-year average poverty rate. (Source: DeNavas et. al 2004)
Alabama ranks 39th out of the 50 states in the average hourly wage estimates for all occupations (Source: US Department of Labor 2002)
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of residents of Alabama 25 years of age and older do not have college degrees. This puts Alabama in the 42nd slot out of the 50 states for college graduation (Source: Stoops: 2004).
Fifty-six percent (56%) of grandparents residing in Alabama are responsible for their grandchildren. This places Alabama in the 45th spot for percentages of grandparents taking care of children (Source: Simmons and Dye 2003).

Five of ten measures affecting child well-being show increasing signs of progress in Alabama.
Alabama is still 47th in the country when it comes to child well-being.