Cenusus Bureau: The Number of people Living in Poverty and Number of Uninsured Rose for the 3rd Straight Year in a Row
Nearly 36 Million Americans Living in Poverty
The number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.3
million last year, while the ranks of the uninsured swelled by 1.4
million, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. It was the third straight
annual increase for both categories. While not unexpected, it was a
double dose of bad economic news during a tight re-election campaign
for President Bush Approximately 35.8 million people lived below the
poverty line in 2003, or about 12.5 percent of the population,
according to the bureau. That was up from 34.5 million, or 12.1 percent
in 2002. The rise was more dramatic for children. There were 12.9
million living in poverty last year, or 17.6 percent of the under-18
population. That was an increase of about 800,000 from 2002, when 16.7
percent of all children were in poverty. The Census Bureau's definition
of poverty varies by the size of the household. For instance, the
threshold for a family of four was $18,810, while for two people it was
$12,015. Nearly 45 million people lacked health insurance, or 15.6
percent of the population. That was up from 43.5 million in 2002, or
15.2 percent, but was a smaller increase than in the two previous
years. [more ] and [more ]
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