Figure U
Weak policy response to the Great Recession kept poverty rates elevated nationally and in the Midwest: Official poverty rate, U.S. and Midwest, 2007–2021
| Year | United States | Midwest |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11.6% | 10.4% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | 10.1% |
| 2019 | 10.5% | 9.7% |
| 2018 | 11.8% | 10.4% |
| 2017 | 12.3% | 11.3% |
| 2016 | 12.7% | 11.7% |
| 2015 | 13.5% | 11.7% |
| 2014 | 14.8% | 13.0% |
| 2013 | 14.5% | 12.9% |
| 2012 | 15.0% | 13.3% |
| 2011 | 15.0% | 14.0% |
| 2010 | 15.1% | 14.0% |
| 2009 | 14.3% | 13.3% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | 12.4% |
| 2007 | 12.5% | 11.1% |
Notes: The official poverty measure compares pretax cash income to a set of thresholds that vary by the size of the family and the ages of family members. These calculations do not account for the value of in-kind benefits or tax credits, nor do they consider regional differences in living costs or expenses. Midwest, Northeast, South, and West refer to the four geographic regions of the United States as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Table 9. Poverty of People by Region [xlsx].
This chart appears in:
- Economic recovery in the Midwest: Challenges and opportunities after the pandemic
- Economic recovery in the Midwest: Challenges and opportunities after the pandemic
- Economic recovery in the Midwest: Challenges and opportunities after the pandemic
- Economic recovery in the Midwest: Challenges and opportunities after the pandemic
- Economic recovery in the Midwest: Challenges and opportunities after the pandemic
Previous chart: « Job openings levels, 2000–2024