Without government programs, millions more would be in poverty: Number of people in poverty, as measured by the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and additional number that would be in poverty without specified government program, by age group, 2021
| Under 18 years | 18 to 64 years | 65 years and older | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of people in poverty | 3,829,000 | 15,752,000 | 6,003,000 | 0 |
| 0 | ||||
| Social Security | 1,065,000 | 7,183,000 | 18,091,000 | 0 |
| Refundable tax credits | 4,893,000 | 4,536,000 | 206,000 | 1 |
| Economic Impact/stimulus | 2,270,000 | 4,939,000 | 1,690,000 | 2 |
| Child Tax Credit | 2,919,000 | 2,315,000 | 108,000 | 3 |
| SNAP/school lunch | 1,188,000 | 1,883,000 | 343,000 | 4 |
| SSI | 288,000 | 1,874,000 | 585,000 | 5 |
| Housing subsidies | 595,000 | 1,200,000 | 616,000 | 6 |
| Unemployment insurance | 525,000 | 1,569,000 | 198,000 | 7 |
| TANF/general assistance | 109,000 | 161,000 | 15,000 | 8 |
| Energy assistance | 32,000 | 77,000 | 41,000 | 9 |
| Workers’ compensation | 11,000 | 117,000 | 10,000 | 10 |
| WIC | 39,000 | 41,000 | 0 | 11 |
Notes: Refundable tax credits include the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Child and Dependent Care Credit. The economic impact payment refers to the third round of stimulus payments only. SSI refers to Supplemental Security Income, SNAP refers to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF refers to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, WIC refers to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, and LIHEAP refers to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
Source: EPI analysis of John Creamer, Emily A. Shrider, Kalee Burns, and Frances Chen, Poverty in the United States: 2021, U.S. Census Bureau report #P60-277, September 2022.