Measures program impact
Policymakers and analysts use changes in the poverty rate to judge whether anti-poverty laws and economic conditions are improving Americans' material well-being.
In plain English
How many Americans live in hardship.
The share of Americans living below an income level the government defines as poor.
Simple example
The Census Bureau reported the official U.S. poverty rate at 19.0 percent in 1964 and 12.1 percent in 1969, the period covering the rollout of Great Society programs.
Why it matters
What the term actually changes.
Debated methodology
The official measure counts cash income but excludes benefits like food stamps and tax credits, leading to competing estimates of how much poverty has actually changed.
How it works
The mechanics, in practice.
Income threshold
The Census Bureau compares a household's pretax cash income to a threshold based on family size; those below the line are counted as in poverty.
Annual survey
Estimates come from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which samples tens of thousands of households each spring.
Related guide
Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
A look at the sweeping 1960s agenda that reshaped federal policy on poverty, health care, education and civil rights.
Read the guide → Related issue brief
Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
More than half a century after their enactment, the sweeping 1960s reforms remain a touchstone in debates over the federal government's role in fighting poverty and inequality.
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Did Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs achieve their goals?
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