Poverty declined last year, but many Americans face economic hardship

The official poverty rate fell because overall household income rose modestly in 2023—even after taking inflation into account—according to other census data.

The number of Americans living in poverty, according to the nation’s official definition, fell slightly to about 36.8 million in 2023, the Census Bureau announced on September 10, 2024. The data released also indicated that the poverty rate declined a little. However, an alternative way to measure poverty ticked up, as more people in the U.S. faced economic hardship.