This report provides estimates of two measures of poverty: the official poverty measure and the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). The official poverty measure, produced since the 1960s, defines poverty by comparing pretax money income to a national poverty threshold adjusted by family composition. The SPM, first released in 2011 and produced in collaboration with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), extends the official poverty measure by accounting for several government programs that are designed to assist low-income families but are not included in official poverty measure calculations. The SPM also accounts for geographic variation in housing expenses when calculating poverty thresholds and includes federal and state taxes, work expenses, and medical expenses.

This report presents estimates using the official poverty measure and the SPM for calendar year 2024. The estimates contained in the report are based on information collected in the 2025 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the Census Bureau. 

Official Poverty Measure:

• In 2024, the official poverty rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 10.6 percent. There were 35.9 million people in poverty in 2024 (Figure 1 and Table A-1).
• Between 2023 and 2024, the official poverty rate decreased for White, Asian, and Hispanic individuals, but did not change significantly for other race groups discussed in this report (Figure 2 and Tables A-1 and A-2).

Supplemental Poverty Measure

• The estimated SPM rate in 2024 was 12.9 percent, statistically unchanged from 2023 (Figure 4 and Table B-3).
• Between 2023 and 2024, SPM rates increased for those 65 years and older and for Black individuals but did not change significantly for the other groups discussed in this report (Figure 4 and Table B-3).
• Social Security continues to be the largest antipoverty program, moving 28.7 million individuals out of SPM poverty in 2024 (Figure 10 and Table B-7).

Differences in Poverty Measures

• In 2024, nearly all the groups discussed in this report had higher SPM rates than official poverty rates estimated using the same universe as the SPM. Only those under 18 years old and people living in cohabiting partner units had higher poverty rates using the official poverty measure with a consistent universe (Figure 7 and Table B-4).
• The share of the population with resources below 50 percent of their poverty threshold was higher using the official poverty measure with a consistent universe (5.0 percent) than when using the SPM (4.2 percent) (Figure 9 and Table B-5).