|
Annual
support payments, such as alimony
or child support, increased
by 18 percent between 1997 and
2002 after adjusting for inflation
— from $34 billion to $40 billion
— according to a report released
today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The number of these providers
increased by 8 percent, from
7.2 million to 7.8 million.
Such payments could be voluntary
or mandatory from members of
one household to those in another.
According
to Support
Providers: 2002 [pdf], the
average annual amount of financial
support was $5,200, about 10
percent higher than the inflation-adjusted
level of support in 1997 ($4,700).
About
60 percent of support paid ($24
billion) was exclusively for
children under 21 who lived
outside the household, averaging
$4,200 for the prior 12 months.
About
2.1 million providers contributed
support to people other than
minor children, including parents
(36 percent), adult children
(27 percent), other relatives
(23 percent) and spouses or
ex-spouses (11 percent).
Other
highlights:
- A large majority (84 percent)
of child-support providers
were men.
- About 6-in-10 child-support
payers supported one child,
about 3-in-10 made financial
payments for two children
and 1-in-10 supported three
or more children.
- About two-thirds (67 percent)
of child-support providers
were non-Hispanic whites,
about 16 percent were blacks,
2 percent were Asians and
Pacific islanders and another
2 percent were American
Indians and Alaska natives.
About 14 percent were Hispanics
(of any race).
- About half of people who
provided child support were
under 40 years old.
The
report uses data from the Survey
of Income and Program Participation.
Statistics from sample surveys
are subject to sampling and
nonsampling errors.
|
