Census Information on American Indian Poverty Level

The following information is from the Federal Census Bureau and describes the economic status of the American Indian, the Eskimo, and the Aleut populations.

"Between 1979 and 1989, the poverty rate increased for both American Indian families and persons. Twenty-seven percent of American Indian families were poor in 1989, compared with 24 percent in 1979. This compared with a poverty rate of 10 percent for all families in both 1989 and 1979. In 1989, 50 percent of American Indian families maintained by females with no husband present were poor, compared with 31 percent of all families maintained by women with no husband present. The 1980 and 1990 censuses show that the poverty rate for American Indians has remained considerably higher than that of the total population. In 1989, 31 percent of American Indian persons lived below the poverty level, up from 27 percent in 1979. Th national poverty rate was about 13 percent in 1989 and 12 percent in 1979."

This article was provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division and Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division. This information was from the 1990 CP-2-1, 1990 Census of Population published in Social and Economic Characteristics, United States Summary and in 1990 CP-2-1A, 1990 Census of Population, Social and Economic Characteristics, American Indian and Alaska Native Areas.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/amerind.html