Fil-Ams, Indian Americans have lowest poverty rates among Asians in US

Courtesy of Pew Research Center

LOS ANGELES – Asian Americans are often portrayed as financially successful when compared with other racial groups, but a new report, released this week by the Pew Research Center, shows that 1 in 10 people of Asian descent live at or below the poverty line.

The report shows that more than 2.3 million Asian Americans – or about 10 percent – lived in poverty in 2022. However, the poverty rates vary widely across the different countries of origin, according to the Pew Research Center’s analysis of US Census Bureau data.

Burmese (19%) and Hmong Americans (17%) were among the Asian groups with the highest poverty rates – while Filipino (7%) and Indian Americans (6%) were among the groups with the lowest poverty rates.

The report drew from 18 focus groups with participants from 11 Asian groups in different regions across the United States, as well as census and survey data.

Key facts about Asian Americans living in poverty

1. About 10 percent of Asian Americans overall live in poverty, but poverty rates vary widely depending on the country of origin. Burmese (19%) and Hmong Americans (17%) were among the Asian origin groups with the highest poverty rates. Meanwhile, Filipino (7%) and Indian Americans (6%) were among the groups with the lowest poverty rates.
2. A third of Asian Americans, 25 and older, who live in poverty have a bachelor’s degree. Among non-Asians who live in poverty, only 14 percent have a bachelor’s degree. Asian Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree are still less likely to live in poverty (5%) than those with less formal education (13%).

3. Nearly 6 in 10 Asian Americans who live in poverty are immigrants. Only a few of these immigrants speak English proficiently.

   Among Asian immigrants living below the poverty line, 44 percent are proficient in English while 61 percent of immigrants living above the poverty line speak English proficiently.

4. About 1 million Asians who live below the poverty line are located in 10 US metropolitan areas. In fact, more than 500,000 live in just three metropolitan areas: New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
5. Fresno, California (19%), Buffalo, New York (18%) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (15%) are among the metro areas with the highest poverty rates among Asian Americans. Still, Asian Americans who live in poverty largely reside in places with larger Asian populations than these metro areas.
6. Around 8 in 10 Asian adults who live in poverty (79%) have experienced financial challenges in some way in the past 12 months, according to a Pew Research Center survey of Asian adults conducted in 2022 and 2023. Among the specific financial challenges they faced: 57 percent of Asian adults living in poverty were unable to save for emergencies; 42% had trouble paying their bills; and 38% have received food from a food bank or charitable organization.
7. A majority of Asian adults who live in poverty (61%) have turned to family or friends for help with bills, housing, food or employment. Nearly half of respondents said they also sought government assistance on a local, state or federal level. Meanwhile, 19 percent of respondents said they have never asked or received support from the government, nor from religious institutions or community organizations.
8. Roughly half of Asian Americans who live in poverty (47%) say the American dream is out of reach, but others say they have achieved it (15%) or are on their way to achieving it (36%). Asians living above the poverty line are more optimistic about their chances of achieving the American dream: 26 percent say it is out of reach for them, while 27 percent say they have achieved it and 46 percent say they are on their way to achieving it.

Learn more about Asian Americans’ experiences with economic hardship in this data essay and short film.