One in five kids received food stamps last year, up from one in eight children before the start of the recession, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau Wednesday.
In 2014, an estimated 16 million children relied on the U.S. government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or food stamps, compared with about 9 million in 2007.
The Census data also shows that the percentage of children receiving federal food assistance increased across all living arrangements. For children living with married parents who relied on food stamps, the rate has doubled between 2007 and 2014.
Once again, the data reinforces how lopsided the economic recovery has been, as American families continue to struggle to feed their kids, while the richest 1% capture all of the income gains since the recovery.
A study by the Economic Police Institute released earlier this week, points out that the average income of the bottom 99 percent actually fell (by 0.4 percent), even as the average income of the top 1 percent climbed 36.8 percent.
A recent report from UNICEF said, one in three kids lives in poverty, ranking the U.S. near the bottom of the pack of wealthy – and far less wealthy – nations.
