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The Supplemental Poverty Measure: Examining the Incidence and Depth of Poverty in the U.S. Taking Account of Taxes and Transfers in 2010
The Supplemental Poverty Measure: Examining the Incidence and Depth of Poverty in the U.S. Taking Account of Taxes and Transfers in 2010
Introduction
The current official poverty measure was developed in the early 1960s, and only a few minor changes have been implemented since it was first adopted in 1965 (Orshansky, 1963, 1965a, 1965b; Fisher, 1992). This measure consists of a set of thresholds for families of different size and composition that are compared to a resource measure to determine a family’s poverty status. At the time they were developed, the official poverty thresholds represented the cost of a minimum diet multiplied by three (to allow for expenditures on other goods and services). Family resources were defined for this measure as before - tax money income.
Related Information
WORKING PAPER
Supplemental Poverty Measure Working Papers
Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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