May 2022

Annual Poverty Tracker Report: The State of Poverty and Disadvantage in New York City Vol. 4, and a Spotlight on Asian-American New Yorkers

Bold government action taken to strengthen the safety net and stabilize incomes in uncertain times staved off rising poverty rates.

Contributors: Columbia University Poverty Tracker Research Group

Issues Areas: Annual Report, Covid 19

This 2022 annual report issue of Robin Hood’s Poverty Tracker explores 2020 rates of poverty, material hardship, health problems, and disadvantage overall in New York City, paying special attention to the role that policies played in preventing a sudden increase in poverty and disadvantage driven by the pandemic.

The report also features a spotlight analysis on the experiences of poverty and disadvantage among Asian New Yorkers; in 2020, the Poverty Tracker expanded and began interviewing a representative sample of Asian New Yorkers, and this is the first year we are able to examine their experiences in depth. Taken together, the results in this report show that an equitable recovery must take on the persistently high rates of poverty and disadvantage in New York City, and must also prioritize the experiences of groups who have borne the brunt of the pandemic’s economic consequences and who have historically faced disproportionate levels of poverty and disadvantage.