US Child Poverty Surges by Most on Record Following Expiration of Benefits
- Metric more than doubled to 12.4% in 2022; 2021 saw record-low
- End of pandemic-era benefits contributed to outsize increase
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US child poverty surged by the most on record last year following the expiration of unprecedented pandemic-era benefits.
A supplemental measure of child poverty jumped to 12.4% in 2022, according to Census Bureau data out Tuesday. The metric, which is based on after-tax income and includes government-transfer payments like stimulus checks, more than doubled from a record low in 2021 but remained below pre-pandemic levels.