Reducing Poverty Among Elderly Women

by Michael A. Anzick and David A. Weaver
ORES Working Paper No. 87 (released January 2001)

Table equivalent for Chart 1. Poverty rate among the elderly, 1959–1999
Year	Aged Poverty Rate (percent)
1959	35.2
1966	28.5
1967	29.5
1968	25.0
1969	25.3
1970	24.6
1971	21.6
1972	18.6
1973	16.3
1974	14.6
1975	15.3
1976	15.0
1977	14.1
1978	14.0
1979	15.2
1980	15.7
1981	15.3
1982	14.6
1983	13.8
1984	12.4
1985	12.6
1986	12.4
1987	12.5
1988	12.0
1989	11.4
1990	12.2
1991	12.4
1992	12.9
1993	12.2
1994	11.7
1995	10.5
1996	10.8
1997	10.5
1998	10.5
1999	9.7
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of the Census, "Poverty Status of People, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1959–1999," November 2000. Available at http://www.census.gov/income/histpov/hstpov03.txt.
NOTE: Data for 1960–1965 are not available.

Table equivalent for Chart 2. Social Security benefits of the aged as a percentage of total income, by income quintile, 1998
Total benefits	50% or more of income	90% or more of income	100% of income
Under $8,792	96	73	56
$8,793–$14,224	93	55	30
$14,225–$22,225	75	21	10
$22,226–$37,962	47	3	1
$37,963 or more	7	1	0
SOURCE: Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics, Income of the Population 55 or Older, 1998 (March 2000), Table VI.B5.