Income and poverty.Trends show blacks are improving economically African Americans African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. , along with the rest of America, are seeing improvements in poverty and income statistics. In 1999, the poverty rate for African Americans dropped to 23.6%, the lowest for blacks ever recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau Noun 1. Census Bureau - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United States Bureau of the Census . This amounts to about 700,000 fewer statistically poor African Americans in 1999 (8.4 million)than in 1998 (9.1 million). In 1997, there were 9.1 million African Americans in poverty, or 26.5 % of the black population. This number was down from 29.3% in 1995. The percentage of the total population living in poverty for 1999 was 11.8%, down from 13.1% in 1997. That number was 13.8% in 1995. Perhaps because African Americans are so disproportionately represented in poverty statistics, they account for 60% of the decline in the number of poor persons in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. between 1996 and 1997, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Census Bureau. African Americans also saw record rises in income in 1999. That year the median income for African American households rose to $27,910, the highest household income for blacks ever recorded by the Census Bureau. This number, however, pales in comparison to the median income for white Americans The term white American (often used interchangeably with "Caucasian American"[2] and within the United States simply "white"[3]) is an umbrella term that refers to people of European, Middle Eastern, and North African descent residing in the United States. or all households, which was $42,504 and $40,816, respectively. "Increases in income and declines in poverty were widespread in 1999," says Dr. Daniel H. Weinberg, chief, Housing and Household Economic Statistics division, U.S. Census Bureau. Across the board, "Median household income The median household income is commonly used to provide data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more. adjusted for inflation increased 2.7%. This is the highest level we have ever measured." The Census Bureau's findings show that as general income rises, people statistically move out of poverty. Therefore, says Bernadette Proctor A person appointed to manage the affairs of another or to represent another in a judgment. In English Law, the name formerly given to practitioners in ecclesiastical and admiralty , statistical assistant with the Census Bureau's Poverty and Health Statistics branch, "we establish 45 different thresholds to measure real poverty. We adjust and upgrade the threshold based on the consumer price index, so a rise out of poverty is a real rise out of poverty."
White Blacks
Poverty
1995 11.2% 29.3%
1997 11.0% 26.5%
1999 9.8% 23.6%
Income(households)
1995 $35,766 $22,393
1997 $38,972 $25,050
1999 $42,504 $27,910
Note: Table made from bar graph.
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