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 Sept. 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.
The Conversation U.S. asked Mark Rank, a sociologist who researches poverty and economic inequality, to explain the latest numbers and to share some of his insights about poverty in America.
