Census Bureau Releases New Poverty Data

SNAP Lifting 3.9 Million People Above Poverty Line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
Contact: Jennifer Adach, 202.986.2200 x3018

Washington, D.C. – September 13, 2011 – The Census Bureau reported today that 46.2 million people (15.1 percent) were living in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009. This is the largest number of Americans living in poverty since the Census Bureau started publishing these estimates in 1959.

For struggling families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) is making a huge difference.  According to the Census Bureau, 3.9 million people – 1.7 million children – were lifted above the poverty line in 2010 under the alternative computation that counts SNAP benefits. In 2009, SNAP lifted 3.6 million people out of poverty.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report on food insecurity showed levels of hunger and food insecurity for 2010 that were the same as 2009, although still about one-third higher than in 2007 before the recession wreaked havoc with America’s low-income and working families. The flat food insecurity rates are generally attributed to the growth in SNAP participation and the important boost in SNAP benefits that the President and Congress put in place beginning in 2009.

“SNAP lifted people out of poverty, and it helped keep hunger rates from rising. Both the poverty and hunger rates tell us that, while too many people continue to struggle, SNAP is a program that’s extremely important in helping people weather challenging times,” said FRAC President Jim Weill.

Other findings from the Census Bureau report include:

• Since 2007, the poverty rate has grown by 2.6 percentage points, from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15.1 percent in 2010.
• Deep poverty (people living on incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line) grew from 6.3 percent (19 million people) in 2009 to 6.7 percent (20.5 million) in 2010.
  
• Even more telling is the increase in the number of families living below 125 percent of the poverty line, which means they are income-eligible for most federal nutrition programs. This number grew from 18.7 percent (56.8 million) in 2009 to 19.8 percent (60.4 million) in 2010.
  

The data further underscore the need for the President and Congress to pursue policies that spur job and economic growth and protect and improve safety net programs.

For further analysis, visit FRAC’s website.

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