2003 Census Bureau Poverty Numbers

8/26/2004

The Census Bureau released its new report, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance in the United States: 2003. Here are some of the highlights:

More people live below poverty than in 2002.

  • The number of people below the official poverty thresholds* numbered 35.9 million in 2003, or 1.3 million more than in 2002, for a 2003 poverty rate of 12.5 percent.
  • The poverty rate and number of families in poverty increased from 9.6 percent and 7.2 million in 2002 to 10.0 percent and 7.6 million in 2003.

Children are disproportionately affected by poverty.

  • For all children under 18, the poverty rate increased from 16.7 percent in 2002 to 17.6 percent in 2003. The number in poverty rose from 12.1 million to 12.9 million.

*As defined by the Office of Management and Budget and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the average poverty threshold for a family of four in 2003 was $18,810; for a family of three, $14,680; for a family of two, $12,015; and for unrelated individuals, $9,393.

To view the entire report go to: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income.html

Children/Families

 

 

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