Hispanic Family Facts: Dramatic increase in the poverty rate for Latino infants, 2016-2017

Slight declines in the overall U.S. poverty rate mask large increases among Hispanic and black infants. From 2016 to 2017, the percentage of Hispanic infants (under age 1) living in poverty in the United States increased by more than a third (from 21 percent to 29 percent), according to recent analysis of Census estimates from Child Trends . The highest infant poverty rate was for black infants, at 34 percent. In contrast, roughly 12 percent of white infants and 15 percent of Asian infants lived in poverty in 2017.

Living in poverty has lifelong implications for children’s development. Understanding low-income families’ circumstances can guide policymakers and programs in their work to provide supports to children and families in need: Learn more about the circumstances of low-income Hispanic children in the U.S.