When we think of deep Poverty, we often imagine children in third World countries walking miles to find drinkable water. We tend to overlook the fact that Deep Poverty exists in our own home countries. First world countries have their own problems with low levels of income, which brings different challenges that third world countries would face. It's hard to leave deep poverty in first world countries, which leads to generation after generation suffering from unacceptably low income. In the United States alone, nearly twice as many Americans live in poverty now than they did twenty years ago.
What is deep poverty?
Deep poverty is the lowest level of living standards and income. The U.S. Census Bureau defines "deep poverty" as living in a household with a total cash income that is 50 percent less than the poverty threshold. The World Bank states that 769 million people live on less than 1.90 cents per day. Out of that 769 million, 3.2 million reside in the United States and 3.3 million are in other high-income countries.
Low-income levels in first world countries bring new kinds of problems. Although someone may be in deep poverty in a third world country, they might have less living costs. Housing costs may be low or nonexistent; utility bills might be nonexistent, and so on. In first world countries, those in financial difficulty have to deal with housing costs, childcare costs, and so on.
This presents a new array of problems. For these reasons, low-income levels can lead to other problems.
In addition, low income in first world countries can lead to obesity and other health problems. Low-cost, fast food tends to be high in saturated fat and calories, and with Medicaid and food stamp cuts, people living below the poverty line often have no choice but to rely on fast food as a convenient, affordable option.
Who does first world poverty affect?
According to Census Bureau Data, 8.2 percent of all children lived under the acceptable income line. Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are most likely with rates of 10.8 and 7.6 percent. White Americans and Asian Americans have poverty rates of 4.1 and 5.2 percent.
Such deep levels of poverty tend to be a generational problem.
According to a study conducted by The Urban Institute, about half of those with concerning low-income levels are under the age of 25. One-third of those in deep poverty are single mothers. Childhood poverty leads to health, developmental, and educational challenges, which is how it becomes a problem passed down generation to generation.
