Nearly one in five Georgians, and one out of four children, live in poverty, according to 2011 U.S. Census data, making Georgia the fifth-poorest state in the nation. Since the recession hit, Georgia’s overall poverty rate has increased by approximately five percentage points and the child poverty rate has risen by nearly seven percentage points. At the same time, state policymakers have cut education and other vital services that help families pull themselves out of poverty. Download the fact sheet.
