WASHINGTON – Almost 22 percent of Hispanics in the United States were living below the poverty line between 2005 and 2009, compared with 13.5 percent of the total population, according to estimates published Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

Of the almost 44.5 million Latinos in the country, 9.8 million were in households with incomes below the poverty line.

Nonetheless, the poorest group in the U.S. were Native Americans, with 25.9 percent, followed by the African-American population with 25.1 percent.

Whites had the lowest percentage, with 10.8 percent below the poverty line, a total of 23.6 million people.

The figures published Tuesday were based on the American Community Survey, an annual study that for the first time has provided a five-year socioeconomic analysis.

These new estimates mean it will “no longer be necessary to wait for the Census every 10 years” and will provide at shorter intervals detailed characteristics of small areas of the United States, a communique from Census Bureau director Robert Groves said. EFE