Anti-racist handbook

Persistently elevated Black and Hispanic child poverty rates have thwarted progress reducing overall child poverty in the U.S.: Child poverty rates, by race and ethnicity, 1974–2020

All White Black Hispanic Asian
1974 15.4% 9.5% 39.8%
1975 17.1 10.8 41.7
1976 16 9.8 40.6 30.2%
1977 16.2 9.9 41.8 28.3
1978 15.9 9.6 41.5 27.6
1979 16.4 10.1 41.2 28
1980 18.3 11.8 42.3 33.2
1981 20 12.9 45.2 35.9
1982 21.9 14.4 47.6 39.5
1983 22.3 14.8 46.7 38.1
1984 21.5 13.7 46.6 39.2
1985 20.7 12.8 43.6 40.3
1986 20.5 13 43.1 37.7
1987 20.3 11.8 45.1 39.3 23.5%
1988 19.5 11 43.5 37.6 24.1
1989 19.6 11.5 43.7 36.2 19.8
1990 20.6 12.3 44.8 38.4 17.6
1991 21.8 13.1 45.9 40.4 17.5
1992 22.3 13.2 46.6 40 16.4
1993 22.7 13.6 46.1 40.9 18.2
1994 21.8 12.5 43.8 41.5 18.3
1995 20.8 11.2 41.9 40 19.5
1996 20.5 11.1 39.9 40.3 19.5
1997 19.9 11.4 37.2 36.8 20.3
1998 18.9 10.6 36.7 34.4 18
1999 17.1 9.4 33.2 30.3 11.9
2000 16.2 9.1 31.2 28.4 12.7
2001 16.3 9.5 30.2 28 11.5
2002 16.7 9.4 32.3 28.6 11.7
2003 17.6 9.8 34.1 29.7 12.5
2004 17.8 10.5 33.7 28.9 9.9
2005 17.6 10 34.5 28.3 11.1
2006 17.4 10 33.4 26.9 12.2
2007 18 10.1 34.5 28.6 12.5
2008 19 10.6 34.7 30.6 14.6
2009 20.7 11.9 35.7 33.1 14
2010 22 12.3 39 34.9 14.4
2011 21.9 12.5 38.8 34.1 13.5
2012 21.8 12.3 37.9 33.8 13.8
2013 20.7 12.05 36 31.7 12.4
2014 21.1 12.3 37.1 31.9 14
2015 19.7 12.1 32.9 28.9 12.3
2016 18 10.8 30.8 26.6 11.1
2017 17.45 10.55 29.7 25 10.9
2018 16.2 8.9 29.5 23.7 11.3
2019 14.4 8.3 26.4 20.9 7.3
2020 16.1 9.9   27.7 23.1 8.4
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Notes: All race categories are single race and do not distinguish Hispanic ethnicity from non-Hispanic ethnicity, except for white, which is exclusive of Hispanic ethnicity (i.e., non-Hispanic white alone, Black alone, and Asian alone). Hispanic can be of any race. 

Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey Historical Poverty Tables, Table 3.

Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey–Annual Social and Economic Supplements 1960 to 2021. “Table 3. Poverty Status of People, by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin” (Excel table) from Historical Poverty Tables: People and Families–1959 to 2020, last revised October 8, 2021.

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