In addition, 48 percent of urban homes are affected by at least one form of structural poverty such as food insecurity or poor housing. According to the study, the general increase in the price of utilities and food are the direct culprit for the large number of people that have fallen into poverty. Using a measurement the UCA calls the Barometer of Social Debt — a combination of food insecurity and income averages — the study covers the period between 2010 and 2016. According to the resulting data, the poverty level increased from 29 to 32.6 percent between December 2015 and April of this year (that’s where the 1.4 million number comes from) while extreme poverty went up from 5.3 to 6.9 percent. Much of these numbers had been foreshadowed in a preview of this study on April 1st of this year.

Source: The Bubble August 12, 2016 15:56 UTC