Census Bureau Report Finds Two-Thirds of Elder Adults Living in Poverty Are Women

The United States Census Bureau has released a new report analyzing the demographic differences of older Americans who were living in poverty in 2021.

According to the report, nearly 65 percent of all adults over age 65 living in poverty are women. This is significantly higher than the proportion of women living above the poverty line. Many of these women spent the majority of their life raising children or serving as a caregiver. This limited time in the workforce in early and midlife can lead to periods of economic insecurity later in life. Additionally, many older women living in poverty have never been married, therefore missing the chance to reap the financial benefits and incentives that are associated with marriage. Similarly, elder women living in poverty were more likely to be divorced or widowed than women not in poverty.

The report also found an association between childbearing histories and reduced income. The majority of elderly women, regardless of poverty status, had at least one biological child. However, older women in poverty were more likely to have three or more children and more likely to have children with more than one partner. Furthermore, women over age 65 living in poverty were significantly more likely to live with a child or grandchild than their male counterparts.