- In 2023, the official poverty rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 11.1 percent. There were 36.8 million people in poverty in 2023, not statistically different from 2022 (Figure 1 and Table A-1).
- Between 2022 and 2023, the official poverty rate decreased for White and non-Hispanic White individuals; women; 18- to 64-year-olds; unrelated individuals; all workers; less than full-time, year-round workers; and those with some college. The only group to experience a statistically significant increase in their official poverty rate was the Two or More Races population (Figure 2 and Tables A-1 and A-2).
Supplemental Poverty Measure
- The SPM rate in 2023 was 12.9 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 2022 (Figure 6 and Table B-3).
- The SPM child poverty rate increased 1.3 percentage points to 13.7 percent in 2023 (Figure 4 and Table B-3).
- Social Security continues to be the largest anti-poverty program, moving 27.6 million individuals out of SPM poverty in 2023 (Figure 10 and Table B-7).
Key Stats
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Figures, Official Poverty Measure:
- Figure 1. Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate Using the Official Poverty Measure: 1959 to 2023 (image below)
- Figure 2. People in Poverty Using the Official Poverty Measure: 2022 to 2023
- Figure 3. Distribution of Total Population and Poverty by Race and Hispanic Origin Using the Official Poverty Measure: 2023
