How many children are estimated to live in poverty in the United States?

How many children are estimated to live in poverty in the United States?

• A. 5 million
• B. 17 million
• C. 25 million
• D. 35 million

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the scale of child poverty in the United States as measured by Census data. Using the official poverty measure, about 17 million children live in poverty, which is roughly one in five kids. This figure is a standard benchmark policymakers and educators refer to when discussing how many children are affected and what supports are needed. It reflects income relative to a threshold that depends on family size and composition, so it captures families whose income falls below that poverty line. While numbers can vary slightly year to year, 17 million is the commonly cited estimate in recent years. The other options would imply much smaller or much larger shares of children in poverty than those standard estimates suggest.

The main idea here is the scale of child poverty in the United States as measured by Census data. Using the official poverty measure, about 17 million children live in poverty, which is roughly one in five kids. This figure is a standard benchmark policymakers and educators refer to when discussing how many children are affected and what supports are needed. It reflects income relative to a threshold that depends on family size and composition, so it captures families whose income falls below that poverty line. While numbers can vary slightly year to year, 17 million is the commonly cited estimate in recent years. The other options would imply much smaller or much larger shares of children in poverty than those standard estimates suggest.