native american poverty statistics 2018


[9] Overall, the per capita income of American Indians on Reservations is half that of all Americans. 56% of food-insecure households in the USDA survey reported that in the previous month, they had participated in one or more of the three largest Federal food and nutrition assistance programs.

New Detailed Statistics on Race, Hispanic Origin, Ancestry and Tribal Groups The U.S. poverty rate among all groups is much lower, at 12.7 percent as of 2016. [20] In addition, residents of these areas must contend with a geographic separation from areas of opportunity. This combines for a 2% increase from the previous year and continues a shift from part time to full time work status. Through the 1990s, the number of reservation residents eligible for public assistance programs increased across on most reservations. For more details about poverty thresholds, visit the US Census Bureau. Five of the lowest per capita incomes in the country are found on reservations. Reservations were placed on lands considered resource deficient, unfit for agriculture or cultivation, and which were isolated from urban centers and transportation networks. In the 1990s, ten casinos brought in more than half the earned money, and 20 percent of casinos brought in more than 80 percent of earnings. [8] Some reservations in Washington, California, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arizona, and New Mexico fare worse, with more than 60 percent of residents living in poverty.[9]. © 2020 Economic Policy Institute Regardless of urbanicity, areas of concentrated poverty tend to have higher crime rates, underperforming schools, poor housing, poor health conditions, limited private services, and few job opportunities. Tribes are at a disadvantage, not having the resources or specialists needed. Through 2016, though, rates again rose, and rates in 2000 were very close to those in 1969. [42] Furthermore, the rural nature of many reservations, the lack of available contact information and telephone numbers, protective rules by tribal councils, and a distrust of outsiders present data collection challenges. The poverty rate at Standing Rock Reservation is 43.2%, nearly triple the national average, according to Census Bureau data. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. One of these programs is known as SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Program.

Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), sharper decline in the poverty rate for children under 18 years old, government programs including Social Security, refundable tax credits, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are directly responsible for keeping tens of millions out of poverty, broad-based wage growth is the best way to fight poverty, Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy • PREE, Economic Analysis and Research Network • EARN. [6] In addition to poverty rates, reservations are hindered by education levels significantly lower than the national average. [24] Lastly, an overwhelming majority of research focuses on the Pine Ridge and Navajo Reservations,[43] suggesting a need for more comparative analyses of conditions on individual reservations. Income levels on some reservations are extremely low. [31], For employment, education, and financial opportunity, many reservation residents are expected to leave the reservation. [citation needed] Frequently, large, non-natively owned corporations in the continental United States will subcontract with the Alaskan Native Corporations. This is especially true among youth, with the rate of youth drug use among reservation populations more than twice that of the general population. On some California reservations, the number exceeds 75 percent. Although the land provides opportunity for ranching, few reservation residents possess the capital required to raise cattle. There are 334 reservations in the United States today. [2] Currently, almost a third of Native Americans in the United States live on reservations, totaling approximately 700,000 individuals. Rather than creating reservations, the government divided Alaskan lands into corporations, each of which owns a segment of land on which tribal members reside. Related News Products. What’s worse, 5.3% of the population—or 17.3 million people—live in deep poverty, with incomes below 50% of their poverty thresholds. [30] Without formal financial institutions, many reservation residents are unable to save or invest what income they do have, and do not have access to loans for homes, cars, or businesses. Although the tribe usually receives a nominal amount of profits, they lose the rights to their land and the potential for truly sovereign development. 1. [45] In addition, locally controlled welfare programs usually mean much easier application processes and increased accessibility to offices, allowing a greater number of eligible individuals to become recipients. These non-native investors often take substantial portions of the profits for years following construction to repay their initial contributions. [4] The median income on reservations is $29,097, compared to $41,994 nationally. Relatively little current, valid data exists about today's reservations. Native Americans are the only ethnic or racial group where child poverty did not go down this year. The percentage of reservation residents eligible for social security benefits is comparable to that of the national population.[9]. See related work on Race and Ethnicity, Poverty, and Inequality and Poverty.
[11], Following the American Revolution, the United States' strategy for native relations was to purchase Native American land by treaties. Such programs must abide by federal regulations, such as the 60-month limitation, but may incorporate aspects of culture and tradition into the requirements for aid. Some tribal leaders have raised concerns that gambling goes against cultural beliefs and values, and is not a solid cultural foundation for native economic development. [64], Those that are most financially successful tend to be small reservations with relatively few inhabitants located near metropolitan areas that do not have as high poverty rates as larger, more rural reservations, which hold a much greater portion of the nations' reservation inhabitants. According to the federal threshold, a single adult making $12,141 is not poor. In 2018, the median income for family households was $80,663, while the median income for nonfamily households was $38,122. Labor market trends for American Indians and Alaska Natives, 2000–17. Total American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) alone population: 2.9 million or about 0.9 percent of the US population. Here's how to tilt it back. [14] As forced relocation progressed, many tribes lost access to tribal traditional lifeways, which centered around community living and hunting and gathering. [4] Researchers gathering data on American Indians rarely differentiate between reservation residents and non-reservation residents, even though there are huge differences in lifestyles and often much tension between the groups. All those who make less than the Federal government’s official poverty threshold... which for a family of four is about $25,700. EPI is an independent, nonprofit think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States. People working at minimum wage, even holding down multiple jobs. About 32 percent of Natives are under the age of 18, compared to only 24% of the total population who are under the age of 18. About one-in-four American Indians and Alaska Natives were living in poverty in 2012. Poverty thresholds are intended for use as a statistical yardstick, not a complete description of what people and/or families actually need to live.

Although it may keep many families from being completely unable to survive, it does not build economies, reinstitute cultural institutions, or create a source of pride for reservation residents.


According to 2018 US Census Data, the highest poverty rate by race is found among Native Americans (25.4%), with Blacks (20.8%) having the second highest poverty rate, and Hispanics (of any race) having the third highest poverty rate (17.6%).

Native American and African American children are also three times more likely to be in poverty than white children.

[24] On the Gila River Reservation in Arizona, which has one of the lowest educational attainment levels in the country, barely one third of adults possess this credential. First, a relatively small number of casinos bring in the majority of casino income. The explicit aim of these policies were to forcibly eliminate traditional cultures, and "kill the Indian, save the man". For a family of four in 2010, the extreme poverty threshold was approximately $11,000 or less than $3,000 per person. EPI’s research helps policymakers, opinion leaders, advocates, journalists, and the public understand the bread-and-butter issues affecting ordinary Americans. Some 5.2 million people (1.7% of the total U.S. population) identify as Native American or Alaska Native, with 44% identifying as at least one other race, according to 2010 Census Bureau data, the most recent data available.