U.S. Poverty Thresholds

Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Summer, 1998

Weighted average poverty thresholds(1) for nonfarm families of specified size, 1970-97

                          Unrelated individuals

 Calendar            All          Under         Age 65
   year              ages         age 65       or older

   1970            $1,954         $2,010         $1,861
   1971             2,040          2,098          1,940
   1972             2,109          2,168          2,005
   1973             2,247          2,307          2,130
   1974             2,495          2,562          2,364

   1975             2,724          2,797          2,581
   1976             2,884          2,959          2,730
   1977             3,075          3,152          2,906
   1978             3,311          3,392          3,127
   1979             3,689          3,778          3,479

   1980             4,190          4,290          3,949
   1981             4,620          4,729          4,359
   1982             4,901          5,019          4,626
   1983             5,061          5,180          4,775
   1984             5,278          5,400          4,979

   1985             5,469          5,593          5,156
   1986             5,572          5,701          5,255
   1987             5,778          5,909          5,447
   1988             6,024          6,155          5,674
   1989             6,311          6,451          5,947

   1990             6,652          6,800          6,268
   1991             6,932          7,086          6,532
   1992             7,141          7,299          6,729
   1993             7,357          7,517          6,930
   1994             7,551          7,710          7,107

   1995             7,761          7,929          7,309
   1996             7,992          8,163          7,525
   1997(2)          8,178          8,350          7,698

                       Families of 2 persons or more

                                 2 persons

                              Householder      Householder
 Calendar           All          under           age 65
   year             ages         age 65         or older

   1970            $2,525         $2,604         $2,348
   1971             2,633          2,716          2,448
   1972             2,724          2,808          2,530
   1973             2,895          2,984          2,688
   1974             3,211          3,312          2,982

   1975             3,506          3,617          3,257
   1976             3,711          3,826          3,445
   1977             3,951          4,072          3,666
   1978             4,249          4,383          3,944
   1979             4,725          4,878          4,390

   1980             5,363          5,537          4,983
   1981             5,917          6,111          5,498
   1982             6,281          6,487          5,836
   1983             6,483          6,697          6,023
   1984             6,762          6,983          6,282

   1985             6,998          7,231          6,503
   1986             7,138          7,372          6,630
   1987             7,397          7,641          6,872
   1988             7,704          7,958          7,158
   1989             8,076          8,343          7,501

   1990             8,512          8,794          7,906
   1991             8,867          9,164          8,238
   1992             9,132          9,441          8,489
   1993             9,410          9,726          8,741
   1994             9,655          9,977          8,964

   1995             9,935         10,259          9,221
   1996            10,226         10,562          9,491
 1997(2)           10,468         10,806          9,709

                       Families of 2 persons or more
                                                           Annual
                                                           average
                                                          CPI, all
                                                           items
 Calendar       3          4          5           6       (1982-84
   year      persons    persons    persons     persons     = 100)

   1970       $3,099     $3,968     $4,680     $5,260       38.8
   1971        3,229      4,137      4,880      5,489       40.5
   1972        3,339      4,275      5,044      5,673       41.8
   1973        3,548      4,540      5,358      6,028       44.4
   1974        3,936      5,038      5,950      6,699       49.3

   1975        4,293      5,500      6,499      7,316       53.8
   1976        4,540      5,815      6,876      7,760       56.9
   1977        4,833      6,191      7,320      8,261       60.6
   1978        5,201      6,662      7,880      8,891       65.2
   1979        5,784      7,412      8,775      9,914       72.6

   1980        6,565      8,414      9,966     11,269       82.4
   1981        7,250      9,287     11,007     12,449       90.9
   1982        7,693      9,862     11,684     13,207       96.5
   1983        7,938     10,178     12,049     13,630       99.6
   1984        8,277     10,609     12,566     14,207      103.9

   1985        8,573     10,989     13,007     14,696      107.6
   1986        8,737     11,203     13,259     14,986      109.6
   1987        9,056     11,611     13,737     15,509      113.6
   1988        9,435     12,092     14,305     16,149      118.3
   1989        9,885     12,675     14,990     16,921      124.0

   1990       10,419     13,360     15,800     17,835      130.7
   1991       10,857     13,921     16,457     18,590      136.2
   1992       11,187     14,343     16,951     19,146      140.3
   1993       11,521     14,764     17,459     19,710      144.5
   1994       11,817     15,141     17,896     20,223      148.2

   1995       12,156     15,570     18,407     20,808      152.4
   1996       12,517     16,029     18,951     21,418      156.9
   1997(2)    12,803     16,404     19,387     21,880      160.5