Number and percentage of people receiving public assistance, by sex, race/ethnicity, and age group: Selected years, 1980 through 2009

NCES 2012-026
December 2011

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Table 32.	Number and percentage of people receiving public assistance, by sex, race/ethnicity, and age group: Selected years, 1980 through 2009

Age group and year	Total		Percent receiving public assistance
	Number receiving public assistance (in thousands)	Percent receiving public assistance	Sex		Race/ethnicity
	Number receiving public assistance (in thousands)	Percent receiving public assistance	Male	Female	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian/ Pacific Islander	American Indian/ Alaska Native
All persons
1980	10,300	4.6	4.0	5.1	3.1	12.5	7.8	—	—
1985	10,800	4.6	4.2	4.9	3.0	12.4	7.3	—	—
1990	25,190	10.1	9.2	11.0	6.4	27.2	17.2	12.8	24.3
1995	27,250	10.3	9.4	11.2	6.0	26.5	18.9	12.6	24.1
2000	18,600	6.7	6.1	7.2	4.3	15.5	10.0	7.5	12.9
2001	17,610	6.2	5.7	6.8	4.1	14.4	8.6	7.6	14.1
2002	17,460	6.1	5.7	6.5	4.1	13.6	8.7	5.8	13.2
2003	18,580	6.4	6.0	6.8	4.4	14.6	8.9	5.9	15.8
2004	18,560	6.4	6.0	6.7	4.5	14.3	8.1	5.4	15.4
2005	18,110	6.2	5.7	6.6	4.2	14.0	7.8	5.8	13.2
2006	17,100	5.8	5.2	6.3	4.1	12.5	7.2	5.3	14.4
2007	17,210	5.8	5.4	6.1	4.1	12.8	7.0	5.2	11.4
2008	19,540	6.5	6.1	6.9	4.5	14.0	8.4	5.5	12.8
2009	19,670	6.5	6.1	6.8	4.4	13.5	8.7	5.9	16.1
15 to 24 years old
1980	1,700	4.1	3.9	4.3	2.4	11.7	6.9	—	—
1985	1,760	4.6	4.7	4.5	2.9	12.5	5.0	—	—
1990	3,790	10.9	9.1	12.7	6.8	25.8	15.1	15.1	27.2	!
1995	4,390	12.1	10.2	14.0	6.8	29.4	18.2	13.2	22.4	!
2000	2,750	7.1	6.3	7.9	4.5	15.9	9.2	7.4	8.0	!
2001	2,640	6.7	6.1	7.3	4.1	15.8	7.6	9.0	15.4
2002	2,590	6.5	6.2	6.8	4.2	14.3	7.7	7.0	13.0
2003	2,960	7.3	6.6	7.9	4.9	16.7	8.0	5.8	15.9
2004	2,930	7.1	6.6	7.6	4.9	16.2	7.7	6.0	13.3
2005	2,770	6.7	6.4	7.0	4.1	15.4	8.1	6.8	15.3
2006	2,500	6.0	5.6	6.4	4.3	12.2	6.2	6.4	14.1
2007	2,460	5.9	5.6	6.2	3.9	13.2	6.3	5.5	8.4
2008	2,910	7.0	6.3	7.6	4.6	14.9	8.4	5.7	11.3
2009	2,930	6.9	6.4	7.5	4.4	14.9	8.1	7.4	17.3

— Not available.

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 30 percent or greater.

NOTE: Total includes other racial/ethnic groups not shown separately. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. For 1990 through 2009, the population receiving public assistance is defined as persons living in households who reported receiving public assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), veterans’ payments, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (or its predecessor Aid to Families with Dependent Children [AFDC]). TANF replaced ADFC in 1996. For 1980 and 1985, however, information was not collected on means-tested veterans’ payments or those who counted public assistance as "other income" but did not report receiving public assistance.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey (CPS), March and Annual Social and Economic Supplement, selected years, 1981–2010.