shows the trend in the relative poverty rate. As the chart shows, the relative poverty rate has declined, regardless of whether we look at the overall rate, the child poverty rate, or the poverty rate of single-parent households. Since most single-parent households are single-mother households, the chart indicates that the poverty rate of single mothers has declined from 62.0 percent in 2009 to 47.7 percent in 2014. While it is shocking that the poverty rate for single mothers is close to 50 percent, I view the rates decline to this extent as a substantial achievement 10 Chart 6 Relative Poverty rate 13 12 000 7 2009 -Overall Sources: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2014 National Survey of famil 9 The relative poverty rate of a country is the proportion of its household members whose equivalized disposable income falls below the poverty line (one-half the median equivalized disposable income). Inequality has fallen from 2009 to 2014 in terms of the Gini coefficient fo equivalized disposable income. For details, see 2014 National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure(available only in Japanese) 10 Similarly, the relative poverty rate, the child poverty rate, and the poverty rate of single working-age households with at least one child have all declined from 2012 to 2015. See Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Summary Report of Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2016, June 20179 shows the trend in the relative poverty rate.9 As the chart shows, the relative poverty rate has declined, regardless of whether we look at the overall rate, the child poverty rate, or the poverty rate of single-parent households. Since most single-parent households are single-mother households, the chart indicates that the poverty rate of single mothers has declined from 62.0 percent in 2009 to 47.7 percent in 2014. While it is shocking that the poverty rate for single mothers is close to 50 percent, I view the rate's decline to this extent as a substantial achievement.10 9 The relative poverty rate of a country is the proportion of its household members whose equivalized disposable income falls below the poverty line (one-half the median equivalized disposable income). Inequality has fallen from 2009 to 2014 in terms of the Gini coefficient for equivalized disposable income. For details, see 2014 National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure (available only in Japanese). 10 Similarly, the relative poverty rate, the child poverty rate, and the poverty rate of single working-age households with at least one child have all declined from 2012 to 2015. See Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Summary Report of Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2016, June 2017. Chart 6 Relative Poverty Rate 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 1999 2004 2009 2014 Overall Children Single-parent households % % Sources: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "2014 National Survey of Family Income and Expenditure