Poverty rate families U.S. 2021

In 2021, 8.8 percent of the families in the U.S. lived in poverty, a slight decrease from the previous year. This is also a decrease from a poverty rate of move than 10 percent in 1990.

Poverty rate for families in the United States from 1990 to 2021

Characteristic	Poverty rate
2021	8.8%
2020	8.7%
2019	7.8%
2018	9%
2017	9.3%
2016	9.8%
2015	10.4%
2014	11.6%
2013	11.2%
2012	11.8%
2011	11.8%
2010	11.8%
2009	11.1%
2008	10.3%
2007	9.8%
2006	9.8%
2005	9.9%
2004	10.2%
2003	10%
2002	9.6%
2001	9.2%
2000	8.7%
1999	9.3%
1998	10%
1997	10.3%
1996	11%
1995	10.8%
1994	11.6%
1993	12.3%
1992	11.9%
1991	11.5%
1990	10.7%

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Release date

September 2022

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

1990 to 2021

Supplementary notes

Families as of March of the following year.

The Census Bureau defines a family as follows: "A family is a group of two people or more (one of whom is the householder) related by birth, marriage, or adoption and residing together; all such people (including related subfamily members) are considered as members of one family."

Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.
Further information regarding the poverty threshold can be accessed here

Data prior to 2018 can be found here.

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