How do government statisticians determine the poverty rate? How could the poverty rate fall while the number

Question:

How do government statisticians determine the poverty rate? How could the poverty rate fall while the number of people in poverty rises? Which group in each of the following pairs has the higher poverty rate?
(a) Children or people age 65 or over?
(b) African Americans or foreign-born noncitizens?
(c) Asians or Hispanics?