ZERO POVERTY
  • 1.1.1 Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographic location (urban/rural)
  • 1.2.1 Percent of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
  • 1.2.2 Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
  • 1.3.1 Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable
  • 1.4.1 Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services
  • 1.4.2 Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and type of tenure
  • 1.5.1 Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
  • 1.5.2 Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)
  • 1.5.3 Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
  • 1.5.4 Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
  • 1.a.1 Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country’s gross national income
  • 1.a.2 Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)
  • 1.b.1 Pro-poor public social spending

    • 1.3.1 Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable

    In order to localize this indicator, our team assessed the utilization of SNAP benefits, the percentage of the population with health insurance and the proportion of the population receiving cash public assistance. A complete snapshot of these parameters is available for download within our metadata, and health insurance coverage in particular is explored in depth under SDG 3.

    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamps program, is the largest federal benefit program offering food aid. SNAP offers low-income individuals meeting certain income requirements with an Electronic Benefits Transfer card with funds to purchase food at eligible locations. However, SNAP benefits are not available for low-income college students or undocumented immigrants, and non-citizens must meet additional eligibility requirements.

    Though SNAP benefits are designed to reach low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals in need of food assistance, the program is still an imperfect measure of food insecurity, which is defined by the US Department of Agriculture as the lack of access to foods of sufficient quantity and nutritional quality. DC’s total SNAP participation rate of 13.9% compared to the city’s food insecurity rate of 10.7% (see indicator 2.1.2) indicates that the city’s SNAP program sufficiently targeted individuals in need. However, Virginia experiences a disparity between participation and estimated need, as 8.2% of the population utilizes SNAP while 9.4% of the population is classified as food insecure (see indicator 2.1.2).

    This discrepancy in access versus need is highlighted in the program’s participation rate. Though the SNAP participation rate among eligible people in DC is high at 96%, Maryland and Virginia experience participation rates at 86% and 76%, respectively. Even though DC’s rate is comparatively high, the figure is less encouraging when broken down by demographic, as the participation rate of eligible working people is only 44% and the participation rate for eligible people over 60 years of age is only 36%.

    This can be attributed to lack of public education about the SNAP program. In a study by the American Association of Retired Persons, survey respondents who were eligible for SNAP reported that they did not enroll because they did not perceive their situation as severe enough to qualify. Others incorrectly believed that SNAP was meant only to serve a certain demographic, such as the elderly or families with children. Among those who were well-educated about the SNAP program and its services, respondents indicated that they did not want to bear the stigma of relying on government benefits. Others were unaware of how to apply or felt that the time and energy required for the application process outweighed the potential benefits of the program.

    Moreover, income variation can provide issues in demonstrating need when requesting SNAP benefits. Fluctuations in income level can push vulnerable individuals to just above the program’s eligibility threshold, leaving those still experiencing or at risk of experiencing food insecurity unable to apply. For those whose incomes dropped, the lag in providing verification of a lower income level can delay the distribution of benefits. As a result, not all food insecure individuals are granted access to SNAP benefits immediately at their time of need.