While Bermuda's middle class has shrunk in relative size, the proportion of households considered well-to-do has increased since 1991.

According to the latest census report, which was released on Friday, households earning at least $107,494 a year are in the well-to-do class - Bermuda's most affluent - but in 1991 the standard was $72,433.

The proportion of well-to-do households has increased from 24 percent to 27 percent. The number of households considered middle class (those in the $44,790 to $107,493 income bracket) dropped from 46 percent to 42 percent over the same period.

Poor (less than $35,831) and near poor ($35,831 - $44,789) households remained at 19 and 11 percent respectively.

Broken down by race, the figures show that black households fared slightly better than white households which saw a one percentage point increase (up to 15 percent) of its ranks being classified as poor.

Among whites the proportion of near poor also increased, from nine to ten percent and 40 percent of whites are in the middle class, as compared to 43 percent in 1991. Well-to-dos now constitute 35 percent of all white households, up from 33 percent.

Among blacks the increase in the proportion of well-to-do households was slightly greater - from 18 percent to 23 percent in 2000.

And the size of the middle class shrunk from 47 to 45 percent of all black households, while the proportion of near poor stayed at 12 percent, but those classified as poor fell from 22 percent to 20 percent.

Those identifying themselves as of mixed race and `other' had the highest proportion of poor households which, at 24 percent remained the same as in 1991.

The near poor in that racial category went down to 13 percent from 18, and 41 percent of its ranks, down from 42, are now middle class.

It saw the largest proportional increase in its well-to-do which now comprise 22 percent as compared to 15 percent.

But these household income statistics could be misleading as a measure of economic well being - other factors, such as size of household, amounts paid out in rent and the number of income earners should be taken into account.

And the report shows that blacks lag behind whites in median income across and within all occupational categories.

While the overall median income is at $38,048, for blacks the average is $35,519, whites, $46,796 and mixed race and `other' combined have the lowest median income, $32,973.

A median income is the mid point income level, where the number of people earning less is equal to the number of people earning more.

Of the 19,410 Bermudian households 12,428 are headed by blacks, 5,364 by whites and mixed race heads of households number 1,126.

Just 2,902 of the black headed households own their homes outright, without mortgages, as compared to 2,045 of white headed households and 241 of mixed race heads.

Among the mortgaged owners, 3,194 are black, 1,281 white and 293 are of mixed race.

Of the 8,402 household heads paying rent, 5,920 are black, 1,756 white and 546 are of mixed race.