The number of Americans who live in poverty has risen for the second year in a row to 34.6 million, an increase of nearly 3 million people since 2000, according to a report released by the Census Bureau on Friday, September 26. The proportion of Americans living in poverty increased to 12.1 percent in 2002, up from 11.7 percent the year before. Children remained the age group most likely to be poor, with 16.7 percent of all children living in poverty, up from 16.3 percent in 2001. Poverty is defined by the Census Bureau as less than $14,494 for a parent and two children in 2002.
Senator Reed (D-RI) of the Joint Economic Committee held a press conference at which CHN Executive Director Deborah Weinstein spoke. The Coalition on Human Needs issued a press statement on the new poverty data. There are additional resources about the poverty data release from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Economic Policy Institute, the Fair Taxes for All Coalition and other groups. As we receive press statements and analysis by our member organizations and groups in the states, we will post them to the site as well.

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