For the third straight year, the number of Americans living in poverty and lacking health insurance increased, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Census Bureau said that 35.8 million Americans – 12.5 percent of the population – lived below the official poverty line in 2003 – an increase of 1.3 million over the year. Some 12.9 million of those in poverty are children – the highest child poverty level in a decade.

The number of Americans in "deep poverty" – those with incomes of less than half the poverty level – grew by 1.2 million to 15.5 million in 2003.

The poverty rate and number of families in poverty increased from 9.6 percent and 7.2 million, respectively, in 2002 to 10 percent and 7.6 million in 2003.

The Census Bureau also reported that real median income remained stagnant between 2002 and 2003 for all types of family and non-family households.

As defined by the Office of Management and Budget, the average annual income for the poverty threshold for a family of four in 2003 was $18,810. For a family of three, it was $14,680. For a family of two, it was $12,015. For unrelated individuals, it was $9,393.

On health insurance, the Census Bureau reported that Americans lacking insurance increased by 1.4 million to nearly 45 million people – the highest number on record. The uninsured account for about 15.6 percent of the nation's population.

AFL-CIO Pres. John J. Sweeney said the Census Bureau report "should alarm all Americans concerned about the economic policies that are driving our country in the wrong direction. Working families are bearing the brunt of economic policies clearly intended to benefit corporate special interests."