A new research index puts the majority of Americans below the level required to enjoy a “minimal” quality of life. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 11 percent of Americans plunged into poverty in 2023. Yet according to researchers, that percentage doesn’t account for the number of Americans looking not just to survive, but thrive, with stable employment and room for upward mobility. “What people are thinking about—a real shared prosperity—is not, ‘I can survive,’ but, ‘What does it take to live a middle-class life?’” said Gene Ludwig, founder of the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP), CNBC reported. ”‘What does it take to be on the first rung, at least, of the American dream?’” Ludwig looked to develop the answer to that question through LISEP’s “Minimal Quality of Life Index,” which measures the “true cost of economic well-being” from 2001 to 2023. The index takes into account essentials such as rent costs, food prices, and general cost of living expenses. When put against these measures, the index found that 60 percent of Americans didn’t meet the threshold due to wages stalling while costs associated with medical treatment, rent, raising children, and education have risen exponentially.
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