--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/estimation-of-eu-comparable-poverty-related-variables-in-the-united-states-1995-2014/" title: "Estimation of EU-Comparable Poverty-Related Variables in the United States, 1995-2014" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T12:52:49+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T12:52:49+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Current Population Survey" - "elderly poverty" - "EU-SILC" - "European Union" - "Gini coefficient" - "poverty" - "poverty gap" - "single-parent households" - "United States" country_focus: - "Canada" - "United States" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Economic Well-Being" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # Estimation of EU-Comparable Poverty-Related Variables in the United States, 1995-2014 Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/estimation-of-eu-comparable-poverty-related-variables-in-the-united-states-1995-2014/ # Estimation of EU-Comparable Poverty-Related Variables in the United States, 1995-2014 [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2015-12-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Andrews, Brendon, Jasmin Thomas, and Nico Palesch. 2015. “Estimation of EU-Comparable Poverty-Related Variables in the United States, 1995-2014.” CSLS Research Report 2015-12. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/estimation-of-eu-comparable-poverty-related-variables-in-the-united-states-1995-2014/ ## Authors: - Brendon Andrews Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Jasmin Thomas Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) - Nico Palesch Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2015-12 September 2015 36 pages ## Related research [The Impact of the National Child Benefit Supplement on the Low Income Status of Canadian Families with Children: The SPSD/M Results Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2002 | Report 2002-01 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-impact-of-the-national-child-benefit-supplement-on-the-low-income-status-of-canadian-families-with-children-the-spsd-m-results/) [Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-02 | 28 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-in-the-forest-products-sector-a-review-of-the-literature/) [An Analysis of Productivity Trends in the Forest Products Sector in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01b | 64 pages](https://csls.ca/research/an-analysis-of-productivity-trends-in-the-forest-products-sector-in-canada/) [China’s Productivity Performance and Its Impact on Poverty in the Transition Period Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) September 2003 | Report 2003-07 | 81 pages](https://csls.ca/research/chinas-productivity-performance-and-its-impact-on-poverty-in-the-transition-period/) [Lessons for Canada from International Productivity Experience Andrew Sharpe October 2006 | Report 2006-02 | 80 pages](https://csls.ca/research/lessons-for-canada-from-international-productivity-experience/) [The Role of Labour Market Information for Adjustment: International Comparisons Andrew Sharpe, Sharon Qiao December 2006 | Report 2006-03 | 103 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-role-of-labour-market-information-for-adjustment-international-comparisons/) [The Relationship between ICT Investment and Productivity in the Canadian Economy: A Review of the Evidence Andrew Sharpe December 2006 | Report 2006-05 | 108 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-relationship-between-ict-investment-and-productivity-in-the-canadian-economy-a-review-of-the-evidence/) [Economy Security in Nova Scotia Lars Osberg, Andrew Sharpe July 2008 | Report 2008-05 | 66 pages](https://csls.ca/research/economy-security-in-nova-scotia/) [The Economic Crisis through the Lens of Economic Wellbeing Jean-François Arsenault, Andrew Sharpe August 2009 | Report 2009-06 | 47 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-economic-crisis-through-the-lens-of-economic-wellbeing/) [Measuring Economic Security in Insecure Times: New Perspectives, New Events, and the Index of Economic Well-being Lars Osberg December 2009 | Report 2009-12 | 47 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-economic-security-in-insecure-times-new-perspectives-new-events-and-the-index-of-economic-well-being/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This report seeks to compare poverty rates and poverty gaps for the overall population, the elderly population and single-parent headed households in the United States and selected European Union (EU) countries. In order to make sure that our estimates for the United States, which are based on the United States’ Current Population Survey (CPS) March Supplement, are directly comparable with EU estimates from Eurostat, we undertook a detailed study of the methodology underpinning Eurostat’s poverty estimates, which are derived from the Survey of Income and Labour Conditions (EU-SILC). The outcomes of this paper are estimates six poverty-related variables including overall and elderly poverty gaps and poverty rates, as well as single parent headed household poverty gaps and the Gini coefficient. The results suggest that overall poverty, elderly poverty and single-parent headed household poverty is higher in the United States than in the average European country. Ce rapport vise à comparer les taux de pauvreté et les écarts de pauvreté pour l’ensemble de la population, la population âgée et les ménages monoparentaux aux États-Unis et dans certains pays de l’Union européenne (UE). Afin de garantir que nos estimations pour les États-Unis, fondées sur le supplément de mars de la Current Population Survey (CPS) des États-Unis, soient directement comparables aux estimations de l’UE provenant d’Eurostat, nous avons mené une étude détaillée de la méthodologie sous-jacente aux estimations de pauvreté d’Eurostat, lesquelles sont tirées de l’Enquête sur le revenu et les conditions de vie (EU-SILC). Les résultats de cet article sont des estimations de six variables liées à la pauvreté, notamment les écarts et taux de pauvreté globaux et chez les personnes âgées, ainsi que les écarts de pauvreté des ménages monoparentaux et le coefficient de Gini. Les résultats suggèrent que la pauvreté globale, la pauvreté chez les personnes âgées et la pauvreté des ménages monoparentaux sont plus élevées aux États-Unis que dans le pays européen moyen. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2015-12-1.pdf)