The US poverty rate declined for the first time this decade in 2006, but the number of Americans without health insurance increased, the US Census Bureau said Tuesday.

Washington - The US poverty rate declined for the first time this decade in 2006, but the number of Americans without health insurance increased, the US Census Bureau said Tuesday.

The poverty rate declined to 12.3 per cent in 2006 from 12.6 per cent in 2005, with 36.5 million people living in poverty in the United States. A family of four living on less than 20,000 dollars per year is considered to be in poverty.

The number of people without insurance increased to 15.8 per cent of the population, or 47 million people, in 2006 from 15.3 per cent, or 44.8 million in 2005.

The data also showed that real median household income increased for the second consecutive year to 48,200 dollars in 2006 from 47,845.

In 2006, the US population topped 300 million.