| Americans below poverty level | |
|---|---|
| 1966 | 17.7 |
| 1967 | 17.8 |
| 1968 | 15.9 |
| 1969 | 14.7 |
| 1970 | 15 |
| 1971 | 15 |
| 1972 | 14.1 |
| 1973 | 13.2 |
| 1974 | 13.3 |
| 1975 | 14.4 |
| 1976 | 13.7 |
| 1977 | 13.5 |
| 1978 | 12.8 |
| 1979 | 13 |
| 1980 | 14 |
| 1981 | 14.9 |
| 1982 | 15.8 |
| 1983 | 16.4 |
| 1984 | 15.5 |
| 1985 | 14.8 |
| 1986 | 14.4 |
| 1987 | 14.2 |
| 1988 | 13.8 |
| 1989 | 13.5 |
| 1990 | 14.1 |
| 1991 | 14.7 |
| 1992 | 15.2 |
| 1993 | 15.5 |
| 1994 | 14.8 |
| 1995 | 13.9 |
| 1996 | 13.8 |
| 1997 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 12.7 |
| 1999 | 11.9 |
| 2000 | 11.3 |
| 2001 | 11.7 |
| 2002 | 12.1 |
| 2003 | 12.5 |
| 2004 | 12.7 |
| 2005 | 12.6 |
| 2006 | 12.3 |
| 2007 | 12.5 |
| 2008 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 14.3 |
| 2010 | 15.1 |
| 2011 | 15 |
%
Sources:
census.gov
Share:
of
This chart shows the poverty rate based on CPI research series using current methods, meaning that money income is adjusted. The poverty rate decreased from 17.7% in 1966 to just 11.3% in 2000. However, the rate increased over the next decade to 15.1% in 2010. In 2011, the rate dropped to 15%, the first time it had dropped since 2006.