This poverty rate data shows what percentage of the measured population* falls below the poverty line. Poverty is closely related to income: different “poverty thresholds” are in place for different sizes and types of household. A family or individual is considered to be below the poverty line if that family or individual’s income falls below their relevant poverty threshold. For more information on how poverty is measured by the U.S. Census Bureau (the source for this indicator’s data), visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s poverty webpage.

The poverty rate is an important piece of information when evaluating an area’s economic health and well-being. The poverty rate can also be illustrative when considered in the contexts of other indicators and categories. As a piece of data, it is too important and too useful to omit from any indicator set.

The poverty rate for all individuals in the measured population in Champaign County has hovered around roughly 20% since 2005. However, it reached its lowest rate in 2021 at 14.9%, and its second lowest rate in 2023 at 16.3%. Although the American Community Survey (ACS) data shows fluctuations between years, given their margins of error, none of the differences between consecutive years’ estimates are statistically significant, making it impossible to identify a trend.

Poverty rate data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, which are released annually.

As with any datasets that are estimates rather than exact counts, it is important to take into account the margins of error (listed in the column beside each figure) when drawing conclusions from the data.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of providing the standard 1-year data products, the Census Bureau released experimental estimates from the 1-year data in 2020. This includes a limited number of data tables for the nation, states, and the District of Columbia. The Census Bureau states that the 2020 ACS 1-year experimental tables use an experimental estimation methodology and should not be compared with other ACS data. For these reasons, and because data is not available for Champaign County, no data for 2020 is included in this Indicator.

For interested data users, the 2020 ACS 1-Year Experimental data release includes a dataset on Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months by Age.

*According to the U.S. Census Bureau document “How Poverty is Calculated in the ACS," poverty status is calculated for everyone but those in the following groups: “people living in institutional group quarters (such as prisons or nursing homes), people in military barracks, people in college dormitories, living situations without conventional housing, and unrelated individuals under 15 years old."

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (17 October 2024).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (25 September 2023).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2021 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (16 September 2022).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (8 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2018 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using data.census.gov; (8 June 2021).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (13 September 2018).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2016 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (14 September 2017).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2015 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (19 September 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2014 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2013 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2008 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2006 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).; U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2005 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S1701; generated by CCRPC staff; using American FactFinder; (16 March 2016).

In 2023, the around 11.1 percent of the population was living below the national poverty line in the United States. Poverty in the United StatesAs shown in the statistic above, the poverty rate among all people living in the United States has shifted within the last 15 years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines poverty as follows: “Absolute poverty measures poverty in relation to the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The concept of absolute poverty is not concerned with broader quality of life issues or with the overall level of inequality in society.” The poverty rate in the United States varies widely across different ethnic groups. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the ethnic group with the most people living in poverty in 2022, with about 25 percent of the population earning an income below the poverty line. In comparison to that, only 8.6 percent of the White (non-Hispanic) population and the Asian population were living below the poverty line in 2022. Children are one of the most poverty endangered population groups in the U.S. between 1990 and 2022. Child poverty peaked in 1993 with 22.7 percent of children living in poverty in that year in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010, the child poverty rate in the United States was increasing every year; however,this rate was down to 15 percent in 2022. The number of people living in poverty in the U.S. varies from state to state. Compared to California, where about 4.44 million people were living in poverty in 2022, the state of Minnesota had about 429,000 people living in poverty.

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States (PPAAUS00000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about percent, child, poverty, and USA.

World poverty rate for 2022 was 44.90%, a 0.8% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>45.70%</strong>, a <strong>1.5% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>47.20%</strong>, a <strong>0.9% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>World poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>46.30%</strong>, a <strong>1.1% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA was 7.50% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA reached a record high of 8.40 in January of 2014 and a record low of 7.20 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Percent of Population Below the Poverty Level (5-year estimate) in Middlesex County, MA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

Chad: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 1.90 USD a day: The latest value from 2022 is 30.8 percent, a decline from 30.9 percent in 2018. In comparison, the world average is 5.84 percent, based on data from 28 countries. Historically, the average for Chad from 2003 to 2022 is 39.03 percent. The minimum value, 30.8 percent, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 57.8 percent was recorded in 2003.

In the U.S., the share of the population living in poverty fluctuated significantly throughout the six decades between 1987 and 2023. In 2023, the poverty level across all races and ethnicities was 11.1 percent. Black Americans have been the ethnic group with the highest share of their population living in poverty almost every year since 1974. In 1979 alone, Black poverty was well over double the national average, and over four times the poverty rate in white communities; in 1982, almost 48 percent of the Black population lived in poverty. Although poverty rates have been trending downward across all ethnic groups, 17.8 percent of Black Americans and 18.9 percent of American Indian and Alaskan Natives still lived below the poverty line in 2022.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Vietnam was reported at 4.3 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Vietnam - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 2023, about 15.3 percent of children under 18-years-old were living below the poverty line in the United States, significantly lower than 1990. While still high, the rate has seen a general decline throughout the last decade. Historic lows were recorded in 2019 when the child poverty rate was 14.4 percent.

India: Poverty, percent of population: The latest value from 2011 is 21.9 percent, a decline from 29.8 percent in 2009. In comparison, the world average is 23.86 percent, based on data from 52 countries. Historically, the average for India from 2004 to 2011 is 29.63 percent. The minimum value, 21.9 percent, was reached in 2011 while the maximum of 37.2 percent was recorded in 2004.

Panama poverty rate for 2023 was 19.80%, a 0.5% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Panama poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>20.30%</strong>, a <strong>2.5% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Panama poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>17.80%</strong>, a <strong>0.7% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Panama poverty rate for 2018 was <strong>18.50%</strong>, a <strong>2.2% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Note: Updates to this data product are discontinued. Over 1 in 4 rural children are living in families that are poor, according to the official poverty measure, up from 1 in 5 in 1999, but this change was uneven across the rural landscape. Counties with high vulnerability to child poverty, those with both low young adult education levels and high proportions of children in single-parent families, were generally the most hard-hit by the recession of the past decade and experienced substantial increases in their already high child poverty rates. Along with the recession, an increase in rural children in single-parent households, continuing from the 1990s, was a major contributor to the rise in child poverty after 2000. Three factors that shape the geography of high and increasing rural child poverty are explored below: economic conditions, young adult education levels, and family structure. This collection of maps complements the July 2015 Amber Waves feature, Understanding the Geography of Growth in Rural Child Poverty.This record was taken from the USDA Enterprise Data Inventory that feeds into the https://data.gov catalog. Data for this record includes the following resources: Rural Child Poverty Chart Gallery For complete information, please visit https://data.gov.

Brazil: Poverty ratio, percent living on less than 1.90 USD a day: The latest value from 2022 is 3.5 percent, a decline from 5.8 percent in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 5.84 percent, based on data from 28 countries. Historically, the average for Brazil from 1981 to 2022 is 13.02 percent. The minimum value, 2 percent, was reached in 2020 while the maximum of 30.6 percent was recorded in 1983.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Pakistan was reported at 21.9 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Pakistan - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States was 12.50% in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States reached a record high of 15.90 in January of 2011 and a record low of 11.30 in January of 2000. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on April of 2025.

Mali: Poverty, percent of population: The latest value from 2021 is 44.6 percent, an increase from 41.9 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 22.31 percent, based on data from 66 countries. Historically, the average for Mali from 2001 to 2021 is 44.97 percent. The minimum value, 41.1 percent, was reached in 2009 while the maximum of 50.9 percent was recorded in 2001.

East Asia & Pacific poverty rate for 2023 was 30.30%, a 1.5% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>East Asia & Pacific poverty rate for 2022 was <strong>31.80%</strong>, a <strong>0.2% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>East Asia & Pacific poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>32.00%</strong>, a <strong>5.7% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>East Asia & Pacific poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>37.70%</strong>, a <strong>0.6% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Haiti: Poverty, percent of population: The latest value from 2012 is 58.5 percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 22.90 percent, based on data from 52 countries. Historically, the average for Haiti from 2012 to 2012 is 58.5 percent. The minimum value, 58.5 percent, was reached in 2012 while the maximum of 58.5 percent was recorded in 2012.

France - At Risk of Poverty rate was 15.90% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - At Risk of Poverty rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, France - At Risk of Poverty rate reached a record high of 15.90% in December of 2024 and a record low of 12.50% in December of 2008.

In 2023, 15.4 percent of Black families were living below the poverty line in the United States. Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing, and shelter.