Trends in Poverty in the United States (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Aug. 28, 2007 |
| Report Number |
95-1024 |
| Authors |
Thomas Gabe, Education and Public Welfare Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
In 2006, 36.5 million people, accounting for 12.3% of the nation's population, werefound poor under the official U.S. Census Bureau poverty definition. The nation'spoverty rate (percent of the population counted as poor) estimated at 12.3% in 2006 wassignificantly lower than the 12.6% recorded in 2005, but the number of personsestimated as poor, 36.5 million in 2006, was statistically unchanged from the estimated37 million in 2005. The poverty rate in 2006 was still above its most recent low 11.3%in 2000, but well below its most recent peak of 15.1%, in 1993. The highest raterecorded was 22.4% in 1959, the first year in the Census Bureau series. Persons areconsidered poor under the Census Bureau measure if their family's pre-tax cash incomeis below a poverty income threshold for a family of similar size and composition. In2006, for example, the poverty threshold for a family of 2 averaged $13,167, and for afamily of 4, $20,614.
