The nation's rocky economy sent 1.4 million more people into poverty last year, a Census Bureau survey found. Nearly half of the newly impoverished were children.
Roughly 17.2 percent of children, or 12.2 million, lived in poverty in 2002, up from 16.4 percent, or over 11.5 million, in 2001, according to the American Community Survey results released Wednesday.
Overall, 12.4 percent of the population, or nearly 34.8 million people, lived in poverty in 2002, up from 12.1 percent, or 33.4 million, the previous year.
Median household income rose by $51, when accounting for inflation, to $43,057 after a similarly slight drop the previous year, when the nation was in recession from March to November. Median income refers to the point at which half of households earn more and half earn less.
The increases in poverty in 2002 were "not out of the ordinary" for a recession, and less severe than expected, said Sheldon Danzinger, co-director of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan.
"Results of the surveys have been consistent with what one would expect during a down economic period," said Chuck Nelson, who helps oversee income and poverty statistics for the Census Bureau.
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Roughly 17.2 percent of children, or 12.2 million, lived in poverty in 2002, up from 16.4 percent, or over 11.5 million, in 2001, according to the American Community Survey results released Wednesday.
Overall, 12.4 percent of the population, or nearly 34.8 million people, lived in poverty in 2002, up from 12.1 percent, or 33.4 million, the previous year.
Median household income rose by $51, when accounting for inflation, to $43,057 after a similarly slight drop the previous year, when the nation was in recession from March to November. Median income refers to the point at which half of households earn more and half earn less.
The increases in poverty in 2002 were "not out of the ordinary" for a recession, and less severe than expected, said Sheldon Danzinger, co-director of the National Poverty Center at the University of Michigan.
"Results of the surveys have been consistent with what one would expect during a down economic period," said Chuck Nelson, who helps oversee income and poverty statistics for the Census Bureau.
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