Poverty Racial Disparity - Age 65+ in Rhode Island

Rhode Island

In 2020, racial and ethnic minorities made up the majority of older adults in poverty, despite accounting for only 24% of the older adult population in the United States. The poverty rate among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black and Hispanic older adults is more than double that of white older adults.

Poverty is associated with poor health outcomes. It influences environmental exposures and health-related behaviors, and increases the risk of chronic disease and mortality. Among older adults, poverty is linked to an increased risk of disability, homelessness, and physical and cognitive decline. 

Racial disparities in poverty are caused by cumulative disadvantages that occur over generations. The negative effects of interpersonal and structural racism on social determinants of health interact with one another, deepening inequities and placing communities of color at higher risk for poor health outcomes.

Older adults of color are disproportionately affected by poverty: 

• Black older adults make up 9% of the senior population and 17.2% live in poverty.
• Hispanic older adults make up 9% of the senior population and 16.6% live in poverty. 
• Asian older adults make up 5% of the senior population and 11.5% live in poverty.

For comparison, white older adults make up 76% of the senior population and 6.8% live in poverty.

Many federal, state and local government programs, as well as community interventions, exist to support and help reduce the number of older adults living in poverty. Some of them include Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Medicare, Medicaid and housing assistance, as well as food and nutrition support like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and congregate or home-delivered meal programs.

However, in order to address the racial gap in poverty among older adults, long-term approaches are needed to end cycles of generational poverty. Some ways to do this include:

• Providing opportunities for Black and Hispanic people to leave segregated neighborhoods and move to cities where there are more opportunities for higher-paying jobs with retirement plans and child care benefits.
• Establishing affordable housing in safe neighborhoods with access to jobs and education. 
• Providing academic and social support to at-risk youth to reduce high school dropout rates. High school graduates are four times less likely to struggle economically in older adulthood.

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