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 2025. The estimates contained in the report are based on information collected in the 2026 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements (CPS ASEC) conducted by the Census Bureau. 

Official Poverty Measure:

• In 2025, the official poverty rate fell 0.5 percentage points to 10.2 percent. There were 34.5 million people in poverty in 2025 (Figure 2 and Tables 1 and 2).
• The official poverty rate for chil­dren fell to a historic low of 13.4 percent in 2025 (Figure 2 and Tables 1 and 2).
• Between 2024 and 2025, the official poverty rate for Hispanic individuals decreased to a his­toric low of 13.9 percent (Figure 2 and Table 3).

Supplemental Poverty Measure

• The SPM rate in 2025 was 13.1 percent, not statistically differ­ent from 2024 (Figure 3 and Table 4).
• Between 2024 and 2025, SPM rates increased for those with­out a high school diploma but did not change significantly for the other groups discussed in this report (Figure 3 and Table 4).
• Social Security continues to be the largest antipoverty program, moving 28.8 million individu­als out of SPM poverty in 2025 (Figure 6 and Table 6).