Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage ... - Census Bureau

Table 5.
Change in Poverty During Income Years Surrounding Recessions: 1969 to 2009
(Numbers in thousands For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see
www.census.gov/apsd/techdoc/cps/cpsmar10.pdf)
Recessions 1
Income years
Change in
number of
people in
poverty
Change in
poverty rate
Change in
number of
children in
poverty
Change in
child
poverty rate
December 2007, trough not yet defined 2007 to 2009 *6,293 *19 *2,127 *27
March 2001 to November 2001 1999 to 2002 *1,779 02 –147 –04
July 1990 to March 1991 1989 2 to 1991 *3,293 *12 *1,187 *17
January 1980 to July 1980 and July 1981 to November 1982 1978 to 1983 *10,806 *39 *3,980 *64
November 1973 to March 1975 1973 to 1975 *2,904 *12 *1,462 *27
December 1969 to November 1970 1969 to 1971 *1,412 04 *860 *13
* Statistically different from zero at the 90 percent confidence level
1 Recessions are determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private research organization
2 For comparability purposes, the 1989 poverty rate used in this calculation (131 percent) is based on data that reflect the implementation of the 1990 decennial census
population controls This poverty rate is different from the poverty rate shown in Table B-1, which is based on 1980 census population controls
Note: Income years are based on peak income year prior to or during the start of the recession and the trough income year near or after the end of the recession
Source: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1970 to 2010 Annual Social and Economic Supplements
Race and Hispanic Origin Age 20.1 percent and 14.8 million in 2009).
Both the poverty rate and the number
in poverty increased for non-Hispanic
Whites from 2008 to 2009 (9.4 percent
and 18.5 million in 2009—up
Between 2008 and 2009, both the
poverty rate and the number in poverty
increased for people aged 18 to
64 (from 11.7 percent and 22.1 mil-
For related children under the age of 18
in families with a female householder,
44.4 percent were in poverty compared
with 11.0 percent of related children in
married-couple families. 43
from 8.6 percent and 17.0 million lion to 12.9 percent and 24.7 million).
in 2008) (Table 4). The poverty rate Both the poverty rate and the number Both the poverty rate and the num-
for non-Hispanic Whites was lower in poverty decreased for people aged ber in poverty increased for related
than the poverty rates for other
65 and older (from 9.7 percent and children under the age of 6 (from 21.3
race groups. Non-Hispanic Whites
accounted for 42.5 percent of the
people in poverty, compared with
64.9 percent of the total population.
For Blacks, the poverty rate and the
number in poverty increased to 25.8
percent and 9.9 million in 2009,
higher than 24.7 percent and 9.4
million in 2008. For Asians, the 2009
poverty rate (12.5 percent) was not
3.7 million to 8.9 percent and 3.4 million)
(Table 4 and Figure 5).
Both the poverty rate and the num-
ber in poverty increased for children
under the age of 18 (from 19.0 percent
and 14.1 million in 2008 to 20.7
percent and 15.5 million in 2009).
The poverty rate for children was
higher than the rates for people aged
18 to 64 and those aged 65 and older
(Table 4). Children comprised 35.5
percent and 5.3 million in 2008 to
23.8 percent and 6.0 million in 2009).
Of related children under the age of 6
in families with a female householder,
54.3 percent were in poverty—four
times the rate of related children in
married-couple families (13.4 percent).
Nativity
Of all people, 87.6 percent were
native born and 12.4 percent were
statistically different from the 2008 percent of people in poverty but only foreign born. The poverty rate and the
rate, while the number of Asians in 24.5 percent of the total population. number in poverty for the native-born
poverty increased from 1.6 million in
2008 to 1.7 million in 2009. Both the
number in poverty and the poverty
rate increased for Hispanics—12.4
million or 25.3 percent were in pov-
Related children are related to the
householder by birth, marriage, or
adoption and are not themselves
householders or spouses of household-
ers.
population increased from 12.6 percent
and 33.3 million in 2008 to 13.7
percent and 36.4 million in 2009.
Among the foreign-born population,
19.0 percent or 7.2 million people
42 erty in 2009, up from 11.0 million or
41
23.2 percent in 2008.
Both the poverty rate and the
number in poverty increased for related
children under the age of 18 (from 18.5
percent and 13.5 million in 2008 to
lived in poverty in 2009—up from
17.8 percent or 6.5 million people in
2008 (Table 4).
43 In the text of this report, families with a
42 Official poverty estimates for children female householder with no husband present will
are compiled in two ways—estimates for “all be referred to as families with a female housechildren”
and estimates for “related children.” In holder. Families with a male householder with no
41 The poverty rate for Blacks was not statisti- 2009, “all children” included 1.2 million more wife present will be referred to as families with a
cally different from that of Hispanics. children than “related children.” male householder.
16 Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009 U.S. Census Bureau