WASHINGTON, Aug 30: The official US poverty rate increased in 2004 for the fourth straight year as overall incomes held generally steady, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday.

The Census Bureau said the number of people living below the poverty line rose last year to 37.0 million people from 35.9 million in 2003, and the poverty rate increased to 12.7 per cent from 12.5 per cent.

The US government set the poverty threshold for a family of four in 2004 at $19,307 per year; for a family of three, $15,067; for a family of two, $12,334; and for individuals, $9,645.

The number of people in deep poverty — with incomes below one-half of their poverty thresholds — was 15.6 million, unchanged from 2003, the report said.

This represented 5.4 per cent of the total population and 42.3 per cent of the poverty population in 2004.

The report, part of an annual assessment of income, poverty and health insurance coverage, said median household income remained unchanged between 2003 and 2004, at $44,389 annually.

The percentage of people without health insurance coverage remained stable at 15.7 per cent in 2004, the report said. The number of people without coverage rose by 800,000 to 45.8 million.—AFP