American Living Standards Examined in Foundation Study

By Caroline Preston

The average American is living longer, earning more money, and receiving more education than in years past, but that progress hasn’t been shared equally among people of different races, geographic regions, and gender, according to a report released last week.

The study, which was designed to help charities, grant makers, and governments figure out where their help was most needed, was produced by the nonprofit American Human Development Project, in NewYork, and paid for by the Annenberg Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Oxfam America.

Deep Disparities

The health, education, and income levels of people in some parts of the United States aren’t any better than those of the average American in 1960, according to the study. By contrast, Americans in other areas today have a quality of life that the rest of the country isn’t expected to attain for another three decades, the report said.

It is the first study to measure human development — which is based on people’s health, income, and education — in the United States. The United Nations has produced reports on human development in poor nations for nearly two decades, but no such tool has been used in wealthy countries until now.

The report also examined how the United States compared with other rich countries in terms of human development.

The United States ranked 12th in this year’s U.N. Human Development Report, compared with second in 1990.

The study’s results were published in “The Measure of America: American Human Development Report 2008-2009,” which can be purchased from bookstores for $75 in hard cover and $25 for a paper copy. It was published by Columbia University Press.