PIP: This report presents social and economic characteristics of the US population below the poverty level in 1986, based on the March 1987 Current Population Survey. The poverty definition consists of a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. The average poverty threshold for a family of 4 was $11,203 in 1986 and $10,989 in 1985. The number of persons below the poverty level was 32.4 million in 1986 and the poverty rate was 14.6%. The number of poor in 1986 was not statistically different from the 1985 figure, but was below the recent peak of 35.3 million recorded in 1983. Whites represented 69% of the poor in 1986, Blacks represented 28%, and the remainder were persons of other races (principally Asians and American Indians). The poverty rate for persons of Hispanic origin (who may be of any race) was 27% in 1987. The number of poor and the poverty rates in the Northeast and Midwest Regions declined between 1985 and 1986, but there were no significant changes in the South or West. The number of poor families in 1986 was about 7 million, not significantly different from the 1985 figure. Persons in families represented 76% of the poor in 1986 and persons living alone or with nonrelatives represented 21%. The poverty rate in 1986 was about 20% for related children under 18 years old in families and 12% for persons 65 years and older. The 1986 poverty rate was higher in central cities of metropolitan areas and in nonmetropolitan areas than in the suburbs (about 8%). 1/2 of poor family householders worked at some time during 1986, and 17% worked year-round, full-time. In 1986, the average amount of additional money needed to raise the incomes of poor families above their respective poverty threshold was about $4400; for unrelated individuals the comparable figure was about $2500.