EMBARGOED UNTIL: 9 A.M. EDT, SEPTEMBER 24, 1998 (THURSDAY) Public Information Office CB98-176 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Income and Poverty Information Staff 301-457-3242 Number of African Americans in Poverty Declines While Income Rises, Census Bureau Reports The number of poor African Americans in the nation decreased significantly between 1996 and 1997, while their real median household income improved, according to reports released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. (The reports, Money Income in the United States: 1997 and Poverty in the United States: 1997, are available on our web site at<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income97.html>for income, and<http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/povty97.html>for poverty.) "African Americans accounted for 60 percent of the decline in the number of poor persons in America between 1996 and 1997," said Daniel Weinberg, chief of the Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. "Nationwide, about 400,000 fewer families were poor in 1997 than in 1996, and more than half of them were African American families." The number of poor African Americans dropped from 9.7 million in 1996 to 9.1 million in 1997, while their poverty rate decreased from 28.4 percent to 26.5 percent. For African American families, the number and percentage in poverty fell from 2.2 million to 2.0 million and from 26.1 percent to 23.6 percent, respectively. In 1997, the poverty rate of African American married-couple families; female householder families with no husband present; and individuals was lower than their 1989 pre-recessionary rate. The poverty threshold for a family of four was $16,400 in annual income in 1997 and $12,802 for a family of three. African American households experienced an increase in real median income of 4.3 percent between 1996 and 1997 from $24,021 to $25,050. Also, in the past three years (1995-1997), median income levels of African American households achieved or surpassed their 1989 pre-recessionary peak level. Other highlights: Poverty - In 1997, the number and poverty rate of African Americans was 9.1 million and 26.5 percent, compared with 24.4 million and 11.0 percent for Whites; 1.5 million and 14.0 percent for Asians and Pacific Islanders; and 8.3 million and 27.1 percent for Hispanics. The poverty rate for Hispanics did not differ statistically from the rate for African Americans. - For families, the number and percentage of poor in 1997 was 2.0 million and 23.6 percent for African Americans; 5.0 million and 8.4 percent for Whites; 244,000 and 10.2 percent for Asians and Pacific Islanders; and 1.7 million and 24.7 percent for Hispanics. The poverty rate for Hispanics did not differ statistically from the rate for African Americans. - African American families with a female householder, no husband present, experienced a significant drop in both the number and percentage of families who were poor: 1.6 million and 39.8 percent in 1997, down from 1.7 million and 43.7 percent in 1996. Income - In 1997, African American households had a median income of $25,050, lower than that of Asian and Pacific Islander households ($45,249), White households ($38,972) and households maintained by a person of Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, ($26,628). - African American households had an average income per household member of $11,998, based on an average household size of 2.75 people. The average for White households was $20,093, with an average size of 2.58 people; and the estimate for Asian and Pacific Islander households was $18,569, with an average size of 3.17 people. - The per capita income of African Americans was $12,351 in 1997, compared with $20,425 for Whites, $18,226 for Asian and Pacific Islanders, and $10,773 for Hispanics. The data are from the March 1998 Current Population Survey. As in all surveys, the data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.-X-The Census Bureau pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In more than 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries and institutions.
