this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025
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You can verify that assumption by taking today's grocery prices and transform them into 1963 prices by adjusting for inflation in reverse. Let us know what you find out.
What you learn is that the cost of food now is quite a bit cheaper than it was in 1963.
The error is in assuming this matters to the calculation. The issue is with using CPI, not the supposed basis on food.
If this is difficult to see, maybe try doing the calculation of the metric under a few scenarios. Like imagine food had become 80% of consumer costs. Would the poverty line as calculated now be too high? Let us know what you find out.