Total Population

Anchored SPM
Anchored SPM Historical SPM
Poverty Rate
Year (2012) without Poverty Rate Poverty Rate Historical SPM OPM Poverty
(2012) with Taxes without Taxes and Poverty Rate Rate
Taxes and
and Transfers Transfers
Transfers
1967 26.4% 25.0% 21.9% 18.6% 13.4%
1968 24.9% 23.2% 21.0% 17.2% 12.8%
1969 23.6% 21.8% 20.4% 16.8% 12.1%
1970 24.3% 21.6% 21.7% 17.2% 12.5%
1971 25.9% 21.5% 23.2% 17.1% 12.4%
1972 25.0% 19.9% 22.6% 16.1% 11.8%
1973 24.4% 18.6% 22.3% 15.1% 11.0%
1974 25.7% 19.6% 23.6% 15.9% 11.5%
1975 26.4% 18.9% 24.0% 14.7% 12.2%
1976 25.6% 18.2% 23.0% 14.1% 11.7%
1977 25.1% 18.2% 22.6% 13.9% 11.5%
1978 24.1% 17.4% 21.6% 13.4% 11.3%
1979 23.8% 17.2% 21.5% 13.3% 11.6%
1980 25.3% 18.7% 23.0% 14.6% 13.0%
1981 26.3% 19.9% 23.8% 15.8% 14.0%
1982 27.4% 21.0% 24.8% 16.5% 15.0%
1983 27.8% 21.5% 24.8% 16.8% 15.3%
1984 26.2% 20.4% 23.6% 16.0% 14.4%
1985 25.8% 20.1% 23.1% 15.7% 13.9%
1986 25.0% 19.4% 22.6% 15.2% 13.5%
1987 24.0% 18.2% 21.8% 14.5% 13.3%
1988 24.0% 18.2% 21.9% 14.8% 13.0%
1989 23.7% 17.8% 21.5% 14.3% 12.8%
1990 24.2% 18.4% 22.2% 14.8% 13.5%
1991 25.7% 18.7% 23.6% 15.2% 14.2%
1992 26.4% 19.1% 24.4% 15.8% 14.5%
1993 27.2% 20.2% 25.3% 16.8% 15.1%
1994 26.7% 18.7% 25.0% 15.7% 14.5%
1995 25.8% 17.2% 23.9% 14.2% 13.8%
1996 25.4% 17.1% 23.7% 14.1% 13.7%
1997 24.7% 16.4% 23.0% 13.6% 13.2%
1998 23.4% 15.3% 22.0% 13.0% 12.7%
1999 22.7% 14.6% 21.1% 12.4% 11.6%
2000 21.8% 14.1% 20.7% 12.4% 11.3%
2001 22.5% 14.6% 21.7% 13.2% 11.7%
2002 23.4% 14.6% 22.7% 13.6% 12.1%
2003 23.8% 14.8% 23.1% 13.8% 12.4%
2004 23.8% 14.6% 23.2% 13.7% 12.7%
2005 23.6% 14.6% 23.1% 13.7% 12.6%
2006 23.2% 14.6% 22.6% 13.8% 12.3%
 2007 23.4% 14.8% 23.2% 14.4% 12.5%
2008 24.4% 14.6% 24.5% 14.8% 13.2%
2009 27.9% 14.6% 28.2% 15.1% 14.3%
2010 28.3% 15.3% 28.8% 15.9% 15.1%
2011 28.5% 15.4% 28.9% 16.1% 15.0%
2012 29.0% 16.0% 29.0% 16.0% 15.0%
2013* 28.3% 16.1% 28.0% 15.5% 14.5%
2014 27.6% 15.9% 27.1% 15.3% 14.7%
2015 26.5% 14.8% 26.2% 14.3% 13.7%
2016 25.0% 14.2% 24.8% 13.9% 12.7%
2017 24.6% 13.9% 24.6% 13.9% 12.3%
2018** 23.1% 12.2% 23.5% 12.7% 11.8%
2019(a) 21.3% 10.9% 21.9% 11.7% 10.5%
2019(b) 21.6% 11.0% 22.1% 11.8% 10.6%
2020 23.9% 8.3% 24.7% 9.1% 11.4%

*Estimates for 2013 come from the 5/8ths 2014 ASEC sample.
**The Census Bureau implemented an updated processing system in 2018, see https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census

Note regarding 2019 estimates: Version (a) is weighted using the original weights in the SPM microdata. In version (b), the we
for nonresponse during the pandemic file. Learn more at: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2020/demo/cps/2020-pub
 Children (<18) Working-Age
Anchored SPM
Anchored SPM Historical SPM
Poverty Rate
Year (2012) without Poverty Rate Poverty Rate Historical SPM Year
(2012) with Taxes without Taxes and Poverty Rate
Taxes and
and Transfers Transfers
Transfers
1967 27.4% 28.4% 21.6% 20.7% 1967
1968 25.7% 26.6% 20.9% 19.6% 1968
1969 23.9% 24.9% 20.0% 19.0% 1969
1970 24.6% 25.0% 21.6% 19.6% 1970
1971 26.5% 25.5% 23.2% 20.0% 1971
1972 25.6% 24.0% 22.7% 19.4% 1972
1973 24.3% 22.4% 22.0% 18.3% 1973
1974 25.9% 24.3% 23.4% 19.8% 1974
1975 28.1% 23.9% 25.1% 18.5% 1975
1976 26.6% 22.7% 23.4% 17.6% 1976
1977 26.2% 23.3% 23.1% 18.0% 1977
1978 24.9% 22.3% 21.9% 17.5% 1978
1979 25.0% 22.4% 22.2% 17.6% 1979
1980 27.1% 24.5% 24.1% 19.4% 1980
1981 28.5% 26.6% 25.5% 21.5% 1981
1982 30.5% 28.8% 27.3% 22.9% 1982
1983 31.2% 29.6% 27.3% 23.4% 1983
1984 29.3% 28.5% 26.1% 22.7% 1984
1985 28.6% 27.7% 25.4% 21.9% 1985
1986 27.8% 27.2% 24.9% 21.5% 1986
1987 27.0% 25.3% 24.4% 20.4% 1987
1988 27.1% 25.4% 24.5% 20.8% 1988
1989 26.7% 25.0% 23.9% 20.1% 1989
1990 27.7% 25.9% 25.3% 21.2% 1990
1991 29.2% 26.1% 26.7% 21.3% 1991
1992 29.4% 26.1% 27.1% 21.9% 1992
1993 30.7% 27.9% 28.3% 23.4% 1993
1994 29.5% 25.0% 27.4% 21.0% 1994
1995 28.4% 22.6% 26.1% 18.7% 1995
1996 27.7% 22.5% 25.6% 18.7% 1996
1997 26.5% 21.6% 24.5% 17.9% 1997
1998 25.3% 20.2% 23.5% 17.1% 1998
1999 23.6% 18.5% 21.6% 15.6% 1999
2000 22.0% 17.7% 20.6% 15.5% 2000
2001 22.5% 18.1% 21.4% 16.5% 2001
2002 23.4% 18.2% 22.5% 16.8% 2002
2003 24.0% 18.2% 23.1% 17.0% 2003
2004 23.7% 17.1% 23.0% 16.0% 2004
2005 23.7% 17.3% 23.1% 16.2% 2005
2006 23.5% 17.0% 22.7% 16.1% 2006
 2007 23.9% 17.5% 23.6% 17.1% 2007
2008 25.0% 17.4% 25.0% 17.5% 2008
2009 28.8% 16.5% 29.2% 17.1% 2009
2010 29.4% 17.2% 30.0% 18.0% 2010
2011 29.2% 17.2% 29.8% 18.1% 2011
2012 29.7% 18.1% 29.7% 18.1% 2012
2013* 27.7% 17.2% 27.4% 16.5% 2013*
2014 28.2% 17.5% 27.7% 16.7% 2014
2015 27.1% 16.7% 26.7% 16.1% 2015
2016 24.9% 15.6% 24.6% 15.2% 2016
2017 24.5% 15.6% 24.4% 15.6% 2017
2018** 22.3% 13.1% 23.0% 13.6% 2018**
2019(a) 20.3% 11.4% 21.0% 12.4% 2019(a)
2019(b) 20.1% 11.3% 20.8% 12.2% 2019(b)
2020 22.6% 8.6% 23.8% 9.7% 2020

ww.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2019/demo/p60-268.pdf.

PM microdata. In version (b), the weights are adjusted using the Census Bureau's public-use weights adjusting
datasets/2020/demo/cps/2020-pub-use-adj-nonresp-corono-pandemic.html

20.0%

18.0%

16.0%

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%
10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%
6 7 6 9
1 9 1 9
Working-Age Population (18 to 64) Elderly Population (6
Anchored SPM Anchored SPM
Anchored SPM Historical SPM
Poverty Rate Poverty Rate
(2012) without Poverty Rate Poverty Rate Historical SPM Year (2012) without
(2012) with Taxes without Taxes Poverty Rate
Taxes and Taxes and
and Transfers and Transfers
Transfers Transfers
19.0% 19.0% 15.2% 13.9% 1967 65.5%
17.7% 17.8% 14.3% 12.9% 1968 64.2%
16.4% 16.5% 13.8% 12.4% 1969 64.6%
17.2% 16.4% 14.8% 12.8% 1970 65.4%
18.5% 16.5% 16.1% 13.0% 1971 67.5%
17.6% 15.0% 15.5% 12.1% 1972 66.8%
16.9% 14.0% 15.0% 11.4% 1973 68.3%
18.1% 15.0% 16.2% 12.0% 1974 68.9%
19.2% 14.9% 17.0% 11.6% 1975 62.9%
18.6% 14.6% 16.3% 11.2% 1976 63.2%
17.9% 14.3% 15.7% 10.9% 1977 63.3%
16.9% 13.7% 14.7% 10.6% 1978 62.3%
16.4% 13.5% 14.4% 10.4% 1979 62.2%
18.0% 15.1% 16.0% 11.8% 1980 61.7%
19.1% 16.3% 16.9% 13.0% 1981 60.4%
20.3% 17.5% 18.0% 13.8% 1982 59.1%
20.7% 18.0% 18.0% 14.1% 1983 58.3%
19.3% 17.0% 17.0% 13.4% 1984 55.9%
19.0% 16.8% 16.5% 13.1% 1985 56.3%
17.9% 16.0% 15.8% 12.6% 1986 55.6%
17.1% 14.9% 15.1% 11.8% 1987 53.6%
17.0% 14.8% 15.1% 12.1% 1988 54.0%
16.5% 14.5% 14.7% 11.7% 1989 53.6%
17.2% 15.0% 15.4% 12.1% 1990 52.8%
18.4% 15.4% 16.6% 12.5% 1991 55.4%
19.1% 15.8% 17.3% 13.0% 1992 56.7%
19.9% 16.8% 18.3% 14.0% 1993 57.4%
19.2% 15.8% 17.7% 13.3% 1994 58.8%
18.6% 14.6% 17.0% 12.1% 1995 56.7%
18.2% 14.5% 16.7% 12.0% 1996 57.3%
17.8% 14.0% 16.3% 11.6% 1997 55.9%
16.6% 13.0% 15.3% 11.0% 1998 54.7%
16.2% 12.6% 14.9% 10.8% 1999 53.9%
15.4% 12.1% 14.4% 10.6% 2000 54.6%
16.2% 12.7% 15.4% 11.5% 2001 55.8%
16.9% 12.7% 16.3% 11.8% 2002 56.8%
17.4% 13.0% 16.8% 12.1% 2003 56.5%
17.6% 13.1% 17.1% 12.3% 2004 56.1%
17.4% 13.0% 16.9% 12.2% 2005 55.4%
16.9% 13.0% 16.5% 12.3% 2006 54.8%
 17.2% 13.2% 17.0% 12.9% 2007 54.0%
18.4% 13.1% 18.5% 13.2% 2008 53.4%
21.9% 13.9% 22.2% 14.3% 2009 55.5%
22.5% 14.5% 22.9% 15.1% 2010 54.8%
22.7% 14.9% 23.0% 15.5% 2011 54.6%
22.9% 15.5% 22.9% 15.5% 2012 55.2%
22.6% 15.8% 22.3% 15.4% 2013* 54.2%
21.8% 15.5% 21.3% 14.9% 2014 51.6%
20.3% 14.2% 20.0% 13.8% 2015 51.0%
19.1% 13.6% 18.9% 13.3% 2016 48.9%
18.6% 13.2% 18.6% 13.2% 2017 47.8%
17.2% 11.7% 17.6% 12.2% 2018** 46.1%
15.7% 10.5% 16.2% 11.2% 2019(a) 43.3%
15.9% 10.6% 16.4% 11.3% 2019(b) 43.9%
18.1% 8.1% 18.9% 8.8% 2020 45.8%

20.0%

18.0%

16.0%

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%
10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0%
6 7 6 9 7 1 7 3 7 5 7 7 7 9 8 1 8 3 8 5 8 7 8 9
1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9
Elderly Population (65+)
Anchored SPM
Historical SPM
Poverty Rate
(2012) with Poverty Rate Historical SPM
without Taxes Poverty Rate
Taxes and
and Transfers
Transfers
46.6% 62.2% 37.5%
41.9% 60.4% 33.6%
41.5% 61.4% 34.3%
40.1% 62.6% 34.0%
37.2% 64.9% 30.7%
34.5% 64.3% 28.1%
33.0% 66.0% 26.7%
31.9% 66.8% 25.6%
27.0% 60.5% 20.9%
26.2% 60.6% 20.2%
26.2% 60.7% 19.7%
25.3% 59.3% 18.5%
24.7% 59.2% 18.4%
24.2% 58.8% 18.1%
23.2% 57.6% 17.0%
21.3% 56.3% 16.1%
21.3% 55.5% 15.9%
19.7% 53.6% 14.6%
20.2% 53.5% 15.2%
20.0% 52.9% 14.9%
20.0% 50.9% 15.2%
19.9% 51.7% 15.8%
19.2% 51.4% 15.1%
19.2% 50.2% 14.9%
19.8% 52.7% 15.6%
20.5% 54.1% 16.7%
20.1% 55.1% 16.2%
19.3% 56.7% 15.6%
18.2% 54.8% 14.7%
18.4% 55.1% 15.1%
17.2% 53.8% 14.3%
16.5% 53.2% 14.1%
16.0% 52.6% 13.7%
17.0% 53.4% 14.8%
16.9% 54.8% 15.3%
17.0% 56.0% 16.0%
17.2% 55.8% 15.9%
16.9% 55.5% 16.0%
17.1% 54.7% 16.0%
17.8% 54.1% 16.9%
17.2% 53.9% 17.1%
16.7% 53.7% 17.1%
14.4% 55.7% 14.9%
15.2% 55.1% 15.9%
14.5% 54.8% 15.1%
14.8% 55.2% 14.8%
15.2% 53.9% 14.6%
15.1% 51.1% 14.4%
14.1% 50.7% 13.6%
14.8% 48.7% 14.5%
13.9% 47.9% 14.1%
12.9% 46.5% 13.5%
12.0% 43.8% 12.8%
12.2% 44.4% 13.0%
8.6% 46.6% 9.5%

Chart Title
 8 3 8 5 8 7 8 9 9 1 9 3 9 5 9 7 9 9 0 1 0 3 0 5 0 7 0 9
9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
 0 5 0 7 0 9 1 1 3 * 1 5 1 7 (a) 2 0
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 0
2 2 2 2 20 2 2
2 0 1 2
Anchored Poverty Rates 1967 to 2020
Provided by:
Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University
Columbia Population Research Center

File Description:
In this file, we present updated Anchored SPM poverty estimates from 1967 to 2020. Using a nationally representative
sample of non-institutionalized citizens drawn from the March ASEC Current Population Survey, we present two Ancho
SPM Poverty rate estimates (measures 1 and 2 below), as well as the historical Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) a
Official Poverty Measure (OPM) rates for comparison.
We include annual statistics on four measures in this document:

1) Anchored SPM Poverty Rate (2012) without Taxes and Transfers: This series presents the Supplemental Poverty
Measure (SPM) anchored to 2012 thresholds minus all taxes and transfers in the SPM. For details on how the SPM is
constructed and for detailed descriptions of each tax/transfer listed below, please see Fox et. Al. (2015). For details on
difference between the historical SPM and the anchored SPM, please see Wimer et al. (2016).

The transfers subtracted from resources under this measure include:

a) Housing assistance(capped)
b) SNAP/Food Stamp benefits
c) Free and reduced price school lunches
d) Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits
e) Low‐Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits
f) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and cash welfare benefits
g) Social Security
h) Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
i) Unemployment Insurance (UI)

The taxes omitted from this measure include:

a) FICA taxes
b) Federal income tax, including federal tax credits
c) State income tax, including state tax credits

2) Anchored SPM Poverty Rate (2012) with Taxes and Transfers: This series is identical to that above, however taxes a
transfers are included. The difference between the above measure and this series can be interpreted as the reduction
the poverty rate attributable to resources from government assistance programs.

3) Historical SPM Poverty Rate without Taxes and Transfers: This series is similar to measure 1, except that the thresh
vary by year based on changes in expenditures, rather than anchored to a single year.

4) Historical SPM Poverty Rate: This series is similar to measure 2, except that the thresholds vary by year bas
on changes in expenditures, rather than anchored to a single year.

5) OPM Poverty Rate: This series shows the poverty rate as measured using the Official Poverty Measure.
Columns A through F show the four poverty rate estimates for the total population.
Columns G through K show the first three of the four poverty rate estimates listed above among children (und
the age of 18).

Columns L through P show the first three of the four poverty rate estimates listed above among working-age
adults (18 to 64).

Columns Q through U show the first three of the four poverty rate estimates listed above among older adults
+).

Data sources:
1967-2008: For the period prior to the release of the official SPM variables in the CPS, we use the Historical SP
data we constructed and made available for public use here. OPM estimates for this period were drawn from
published Census tables.
2009-2020: Public-use CPS data include the SPM and OPM variables for this entire period, also accessible thro
IPUMS. Estimates for 2013 come from the 5/8ths 2014 ASEC microdata.
+).

Data sources:
1967-2008: For the period prior to the release of the official SPM variables in the CPS, we use the Historical SP
data we constructed and made available for public use here. OPM estimates for this period were drawn from
published Census tables.
2009-2020: Public-use CPS data include the SPM and OPM variables for this entire period, also accessible thro
IPUMS. Estimates for 2013 come from the 5/8ths 2014 ASEC microdata.

References:
Fox, L., Wimer, C., Garfinkel, I., Kaushal, N., & Waldfogel, J. (2015). Waging war on poverty: Poverty trends usin
historical supplemental poverty measure. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 34, 567–592
doi:10.1002/pam.21833
Wimer, C., Fox, L., Garfinkel, I., Kaushal, N., & Waldfogel, J. (2016). Progress on poverty? New estimates of
historical trends using an anchored supplemental poverty measure. Demography, 53(4), 1207-1218.
ng a nationally representative
urvey, we present two Anchored
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, 53(4), 1207-1218.