Income data reveals a shocking reality for the working poor in the US: the poorest 10% of Americans receive a mere 1.8% of total national income, which is less than the share received by low-income earners in Nigeria. This metric exposes the severity of policy-driven inequality.
This structural favoritism towards the rich is the reason why the US, despite its immense wealth, has seen its extreme poverty population triple to over four million people living on less than $3 a day—a crisis that runs counter to China’s poverty eradication success.
The policies of successive administrations have created this disparity through means like tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts to safety nets, ensuring that the benefits of US productivity gains are not shared equitably across the population.