How do poverty rates compare between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white populations in the US in 2025?
Executive summary
The Census Bureau’s most recent reporting shows the official U.S. poverty rate fell to 10.6% in 2024, and that poverty rates for both Hispanic and White (including non‑Hispanic White distinctions in some releases) moved downward between 2023 and 2024 — the report explicitly states the official poverty rate decreased for White, Asian, and Hispanic individuals [1] [2]. Sources note measurement caveats: the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) remains higher (12.9% in 2024) and nonresponse bias — especially among Hispanic households in recent CPS ASEC collections — complicates year‑to‑year and group comparisons [3] [1].
1. Sharp takeaway: Hispanics still show higher poverty than non‑Hispanic Whites, but both fell in 2024
Census reporting cited by multiple summaries indicates the official poverty rate declined for Hispanic and White groups from 2023 to 2024, contributing to a national drop in the official rate to 10.6% in 2024 [1] [2]. Independent charting and secondary aggregators that use Census data continue to show historically higher poverty rates for Hispanic populations than for non‑Hispanic White populations, though exact 2024/2025 point estimates for each group in the provided snippets are not listed in full tables here [4] [5].
2. Why the measures differ: Official poverty measure vs. Supplemental Poverty Measure
Analysts stress the difference between the official poverty measure and the SPM. The SPM was 12.9% in 2024 — higher than the official 10.6% — because SPM counts tax credits and in‑kind benefits and subtracts certain out‑of‑pocket expenses, producing different group results and trends [3]. Any comparison between Hispanics and non‑Hispanic Whites should state which measure is being used because the two can move in opposite directions for some groups [3].
3. Data quality risk: nonresponse bias and methodological updates matter
Congressional and Census materials warn about nonresponse bias in recent CPS ASEC data, with evidence that nonresponse among low‑income Hispanic households was higher in the 2025 CPS ASEC than among non‑Hispanic White households; that bias can complicate direct comparisons over time or across groups [3]. The Census also implemented method changes (for example, to population estimates and migration adjustments) that affect 2024 comparisons; the agency flags these as reasons to interpret subgroup changes cautiously [6].
4. What the public reporting shows — and what’s missing from these snippets
The news release and “Poverty in the United States: 2024” report state the official poverty rate fell and that Hispanic and White individuals experienced declines, but the provided search snippets do not include a full table of 2024 poverty rates by Hispanic vs. non‑Hispanic White with precise percentages to quote here [1] [2]. Secondary sources (Statista, Visual Capitalist) visualize historical differences and continue to show higher Hispanic poverty relative to non‑Hispanic White, but the exact 2024 figures for each group are not fully reproduced in the snippets supplied [7] [4] [5].
5. Competing interpretations: improvement vs. structural gap
The Census documentation frames the 2024 declines as real improvements for both Hispanics and Whites [1] [2]. Other analysts and aggregators emphasize long‑standing structural disparities — that Hispanic and Black poverty rates historically exceed non‑Hispanic White rates — and caution that even with year‑to‑year declines the absolute gaps remain meaningful [4] [5]. Available sources do not present a single narrative that the gap closed fully in 2024; they simply report declines for both groups [1] [2].
6. How to read future headlines: what to ask and watch
When journalists or policymakers cite “poverty fell for Hispanics” or “for Whites,” check which measure is used (official vs. SPM), whether the figure is for Hispanic as an ethnicity (any race) versus non‑Hispanic White, and whether the analysis accounts for nonresponse or methodological shifts flagged by the Census [3] [6]. Visualizations from Statista and Visual Capitalist are useful for long‑run context but rely on Census tabulations; always trace back to the underlying CPS ASEC tables when possible [7] [4].
Limitations: The supplied search results include clear statements that Hispanic and White poverty rates declined in 2024 [1] [2] and provide national totals, but the snippets do not contain the precise side‑by‑side 2024 poverty percentages for “Hispanic” versus “non‑Hispanic White” to quote here; available sources do not mention those exact numbers in the excerpts provided [1] [2].