Business and Finance > Economy > Poverty and Income

Persons Below Poverty Level in the U.S., 1975–2010

The following table shows the number and percent of people in the United States living below the poverty level for the years 1975 to 2007. Data also includes the number and percent of people living below the poverty level by race: white, black, and of Hispanic origin.

(in thousands)

Year	All persons	Percent	White	Percent	Black	Percent	Hispanic origin¹	Percent	Asian and Pac. Isl.	Percent
1975	25,877	12.3%	17,770	9.7%	7,545	31.3%	2,991	26.9%	n.a.	n.a.
1976	24,975	11.8	16,713	9.1	7,595	31.1	2,783	24.7	n.a.	n.a.
1977	24,720	11.6	16,416	8.9	7,726	31.3	2,700	22.4	n.a.	n.a.
1978	24,497	11.4	16,259	8.7	7,625	30.6	2,607	21.6	n.a.	n.a.
1979	26,072	11.7	17,214	9.0	8,050	31.0	2,921	21.8	n.a.	n.a.
1980	29,272	13.0	19,699	10.2	8,579	32.5	3,491	25.7	n.a.	n.a.
1981	31,822	14.0	21,553	11.1	9,173	34.2	3,713	26.5	n.a.	n.a.
1982	34,398	15.0	23,517	12.0	9,697	35.6	4,301	29.9	n.a.	n.a.
1983	35,303	15.2	23,984	12.1	9,882	35.7	4,633	28.0	n.a.	n.a.
1984	33,700	14.4	22,955	11.5	9,490	33.8	4,806	28.4	n.a.	n.a.
1985	33,064	14.0	22,860	11.4	8,926	31.3	5,236	29.0	n.a.	n.a.
1986	32,370	13.6	22,183	11.0	8,983	31.1	5,117	27.3	n.a.	n.a.
1987	32,221	13.4	21,195	10.4	9,520	32.4	5,422	28.0	1,021	16.1%
1988	31,745	13.0	20,715	10.1	9,356	31.3	5,357	26.7	1,117	17.3
1989	31,528	12.8	20,785	10.0	9,302	30.7	5,430	26.2	939	14.1
1990	33,585	13.5	22,326	10.7	9,837	31.9	6,006	28.1	858	12.2
1991	35,708	14.2	23,747	11.3	10,242	32.7	6,339	28.7	996	13.8
1992	38,014	14.8	25,259	11.9	10,827	33.4	7,592	29.6	985	12.7
1993	39,265	15.1	26,226	12.2	10,877	33.1	8,126	30.6	1,134	15.3
1994	38,059	14.5	25,379	11.7	10,196	30.6	8,416	30.7	974	14.6
1995	36,425	13.8	24,423	11.2	9,872	29.3	8,574	30.3	1,411	14.6
1996	36,529	13.7	24,650	11.2	9,694	28.4	8,697	29.4	1,454	14.5
1997	35,574	13.3	24,396	11.0	9,116	26.5	8,308	27.1	1,468	14.0
1998	34,476	12.7	23,454	10.5	9,091	26.1	8,070	25.6	1,360	12.5
1999	32,791	11.9	22,169	9.8	8,441	23.6	7,876	22.7	1,163	10.7
2000	31,581	11.3	21,645	9.5	7,982	22.5	7,747	21.5	1,226	10.8
2001	32,907	11.7	22,739	9.9	8,136	22.7	7,997	21.4	1,275	10.2
2002	34,570	12.1	23,466	10.2	8,602	24.1	8,555	21.8	1,161²	10.1
2003	35,861	12.5	24,272	10.5	8,781	24.4	9,051	22.5	1,401	11.8
2004	37,040	12.7	25,327	10.8	9,014	24.7	9,122	21.9	1,209	9.8
2005	36,950	12.6	24,872³	10.6	9,168⁴	24.9	9,368	21.8	1,402	11.1
2006	36,460	12.3	24,416	10.3	9,048	24.3	9,243	20.6	1,447	10.1
2007	37,276	12.5	25,120	10.5	9,237	24.5	9,890	21.5	1,467	10.2
2008	39,829	13.2	26,990	11.2	9,379	24.7	10,987	23.2	1,576	1.8
2009	43,569	14.3	29,830	12.3	9,944	25.8	12,350	25.3	1,746	12.5
2010	46,180	15.1	31,650	31.0	10,675	27.4	13,243	26.6	1,729	12.1

n.a. = not available.

1. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

2. For years 2002–2005, figures refer to people who reported Asian and did not report any other race category.

3. The 2003 Current Population Survey allowed respondents to choose more than one race. White alone refers to people who reported White and did not report any other race category.

4. Black alone refers to people who reported Black and did not report any other race.

5. Asian alone refers to people who reported Asian and did not report any other race.

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Web: www.census.gov .

Percent of People in Poverty, by State, 2002–2004

Poverty and Income

Food Stamp Households, 2005