Percentage of uninsured shows decline from 2006 to 2007

WASHINGTON While household income increased between 2006 and 2007, the poverty rate remained statistically unchanged, but the number of people without health insurance declined, according to United States Census data released Tuesday.

The number of people living in poverty in 2007 was 37.3 million, an increase from the 36.5 million in 2006, though the rate of 12.5 percent did not change. At the same time, the number of people without health insurance declined from 47 million in 2006 to 45.7 million in 2007, a decrease of 0.5 percent.

The percentage of non-Hispanic whites lacking health insurance coverage decreased to 10.4 percent. Among Hispanics, the percentage of those lacking insurance decreased from 34.1 percent to 32.1 percent. Among blacks, the numbers of the uninsured remained statistically unchanged, although the percentage decreased from 20.5 to 19.5 percent. Among Asians, the percentage of those lacking insurance increased from 15.5 percent to 16.8 percent.

Of all the states, Texas had the highest percentage of people—24.4 percent—without health insurance, while Massachusetts and Hawaii had the lowest, 8.3 percent.