Americans’ reliance on government aid is at its highest levels, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The high levels are largely due to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
According to the outlet, less than 1% of Americans used government aid in 1970. By 2000, 1 in 10 counties used a significant amount of government aid.
By 2022, more than half of the counties in the United States drew “at least a quarter of their income from government aid,” the report said.
The WSJ explained that the primary reason behind the increased use of government aid is the aging population of Americans.
“A much larger share of Americans are seniors, and their healthcare costs have risen,” the report noted. “At the same time, many communities have suffered from economic decline because of challenges including the loss of manufacturing, leaving government money as a larger share of people’s income in such places.”
An estimated 70% of counties in Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina are reliant upon government income, as well as 60% of the counties in Pennsylvania.
