The Definition Of Poverty In the United States

How many citizens were considered poor in 2010?

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, approximately 15.1% of the U.S. population is considered to be poor, or living below the poverty threshold. That percentage rate was the highest rate since 1993. During the years from 1993 and 2000, the poverty rate actually fell each year until it reached 11.3% in 2000.

How have poverty rates changed over the years?

During the later part of the 1950s, the poverty rate in America was 22.4%, or 39.5 million people. This number steadily declined during the entire 1960s, and reached the lowest level of 11.1%, or 22.9 million people, in 1973. During the next ten years, the poverty rate shifted somewhere between 11.1% and 12.6%, however it started to slowly increase by 1980. In 1983, the quantity of individuals living in poverty increased to 35.3 million people, or 15.2% of the overall population.

Understanding how poverty differs across subgroups

Poverty rates for all citizens hides substantial variations between racial or ethnic subgroups. The rates for Hispanics and African-Americans significantly surpass the nation's average. In 2010, 27.4% of African-Americans and 26.6% of Hispanics were living below the poverty threshold, compared to 9.9% of Whites and 12.1% of Asians.

Poverty levels are highest for single women families, especially if they are African-American or Hispanic. In 2010, 31.6% of these households were poor, while 6.2% of married-couple families and 15.8% of single men families lived in poverty.

Additionally, there are variations between foreign-born and native-born people. In 2010, 19.9% of foreign-born residents were living in poverty, as opposed to 14.4% of native-born residents in America. Foreign-born, non-citizen residents had even higher rates of poverty, at 26.7%.

How many children were living in poverty?

In 2010, 22% of America's children (16.4 million) were poor. Children make up a disproportionate amount of the poor in America. They are 36% of the total poor population yet they are only 24% of the overall population.Poverty rates for children vary considerably by race.