U.S. share living in poverty by race 1959-2023

In the U.S., the share of the population living in poverty fluctuated significantly throughout the six decades between 1987 and 2023. In 2023, the poverty level across all races and ethnicities was 11.1 percent.

Black Americans have been the ethnic group with the highest share of their population living in poverty almost every year since 1974. In 1979 alone, Black poverty was well over double the national average, and over four times the poverty rate in white communities; in 1982, almost 48 percent of the Black population lived in poverty. Although poverty rates have been trending downward across all ethnic groups, 17.8 percent of Black Americans and 18.9 percent of American Indian and Alaskan Natives still lived below the poverty line in 2022.

Share of the population living in poverty by race and Hispanic origin in the United States from 1959 to 2023

Characteristic	All races	White, non-Hispanic	Black	Hispanic (any race)	Asian	American Indian and Alaska Native
2023	11.1%	7.7%	17.8%	16.6%	8.9%	18.9%
2022	11.5%	8.6%	17%	16.9%	8.6%	20%
2021	11.6%	8.1%	19.3%	17.1%	9.3%	21.9%
2020	11.5%	8.2%	19.3%	17%	8.2%	16.4%
2019	10.5%	7.3%	18.7%	15.7%	9%	16.2%
2018	11.8%	8.1%	20.7%	17.6%	8%	19.6%
2017	12.3%	8.7%	21.2%	18.3%	9.8%	19.6%
2016	12.7%	8.8%	21.8%	19.4%	9.6%	20.3%
2015	13.5%	9.1%	23.9%	21.4%	9.8%	21.2%
2014	14.8%	10.1%	26%	23.6%	9.9%	22.8%
2013	14.5%	9.6%	27.1%	23.5%	11.5%	23.4%
2012	15%	9.7%	27.1%	25.6%	12.5%	28%
2011	15%	9.8%	27.5%	25.3%	10.4%	24.3%
2010	15.1%	9.9%	27.4%	26.5%	11.4%	25.6%
2009	14.3%	9.4%	25.9%	25.3%	12.3%	23.2%
2008	13.2%	8.6%	24.6%	23.2%	12%	22.1%
2007	12.5%	8.2%	24.4%	21.5%	12.4%	20.3%
2006	12.3%	8.2%	24.2%	20.6%	11.6%	22.4%
2005	12.6%	8.3%	24.7%	21.8%	10.2%	20.9%
2004	12.7%	8.7%	24.7%	21.9%	10.1%	19.5%
2003	12.5%	8.2%	24.3%	22.5%	10.9%	18.6%
2002	12.1%	8%	23.9%	21.8%	9.7%	19.6%
2001	11.7%	7.8%	22.7%	21.4%	11.8%	21.9%
2000	11.3%	7.4%	22.5%	21.5%	10%	23.2%
1999	11.9%	7.7%	23.6%	22.7%	11.9%	28.6%
1998	12.7%	8.2%	26.1%	25.6%	18%	23.1%
1997	13.3%	8.6%	26.5%	27.1%	20.3%	25.4%
1996	13.7%	8.6%	28.4%	29.4%	19.5%	30.5%
1995	13.8%	8.5%	29.3%	30.3%	19.5%	31%
1994	14.5%	9.4%	30.6%	30.7%	18.3%	26.4%
1993	15.1%	9.9%	33.1%	30.6%	18.2%	23.6%
1992	14.8%	9.6%	33.4%	29.6%	16.4%	29.2%
1991	14.2%	9.4%	32.7%	28.7%	17.5%	31.3%
1990	13.5%	8.8%	31.9%	28.1%	17.6%	28.5%
1989	12.8%	8.3%	30.7%	26.2%	19.8%	23.9%
1988	13%	8.4%	31.3%	26.7%	24.1%	30.2%
1987	13.4%	8.7%	32.4%	28%	23.5%	28.8%
1986	13.6%	9.4%	31.1%	27.3%	-	-
1985	14%	9.7%	31.3%	29%	-	-
1984	14.4%	10%	33.8%	28.4%	-	-
1983	15.2%	10.8%	35.7%	28%	-	-
1982	15%	10.6%	35.6%	29.9%	-	-
1981	14%	9.9%	34.2%	26.5%	-	-
1980	13%	9.1%	32.5%	25.7%	-	-
1979	11.7%	8.1%	31%	21.8%	-	-
1978	11.4%	7.9%	30.6%	21.6%	-	-
1977	11.6%	8%	31.3%	22.4%	-	-
1976	11.8%	8.1%	31.1%	24.7%	-	-
1975	12.3%	8.6%	31.3%	26.9%	-	-
1974	11.2%	7.7%	30.3%	23%	-	-
1973	11.1%	-	31.4%	21.9%	-	-
1972	11.9%	-	33.3%	-	-	-
1971	12.5%	-	32.5%	-	-	-
1970	12.6%	-	33.5%	-	-	-
1969	12.1%	-	32.2%	-	-	-
1968	12.8%	-	34.7%	-	-	-
1967	14.2%	-	39.3%	-	-	-
1966	14.7%	-	41.8%	-	-	-
1965	17.3%	-	-	-	-	-
1964	19%	-	-	-	-	-
1963	19.5%	-	-	-	-	-
1962	21%	-	-	-	-	-
1961	21.9%	-	-	-	-	-
1960	22.2%	-	-	-	-	-
1959	22.4%	-	-	-	-	-

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Release date

September 2024

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1959 to 2023

Age group

18 years and older

Supplementary notes

As definitions of ethnicity varied across various censuses, some groups have been combined for display purposes. These are:
White: White alone, not Hispanic (2002-2023), White, not Hispanic (1959-2001)
Black: Black alone, or in combination (2002-2023), Black (1966-2001)
Asian: Asian alone, or in combination (2002-2023), Asian and Pacific Islander (1987-2001)
American Indian and Alaska Native, alone or in combination: American Indian and Alaska Native alone (2002-2023), American Indian and Alaska Native (1987-2001)

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