what is the poverty level in the united states

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the federal poverty level (FPL) is a measure of income issued every year that is used to determine eligibility for certain programs and benefits, including savings on Marketplace health insurance, and Medicaid and CHIP coverage. The FPL varies based on family size and income, and the 2023 FPL income numbers are used to calculate eligibility for Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For example, for a family of four, the poverty guideline is $30,000 in 2023. The Census Bureau estimated that in 2021, 11.6% of Americans, roughly 38 million people, lived at or below the poverty level. The poverty threshold for a family of four in 2021 was $27,740, and for an individual, it was $13,788. The percentage of children in poverty has been decreasing over the last decade, with the rate of childhood poverty at 16.1% in 2021.