How Many Know Someone Who Is Transgender?

Nearly one-third of Americans aged 18 or older personally know someone who is transgender, according to a Gallup survey. Here's the question asked by Gallup: "Do you have any friends or relatives or coworkers who have told you, personally, that they are transgender?" Young adults are most likely to say yes.

Percent who personally know someone who is transgender

Total 18-plus: 31%

Aged 18 to 29: 50%

Aged 30 to 49: 31%

Aged 50 to 64: 24%

Aged 65-plus: 19%

Source: Gallup, Mixed Views among Americans on Transgender Issues

35 Million Report Having Been Diagnosed with Covid-19

Millions of Americans report that they have received a positive Covid-19 diagnosis, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey fielded April 28-May 10. Overall, 35 million say they have been diagnosed with Covid—14 percent of the population aged 18 or older. 

Those most likely to have had a Covid diagnosis are Hispanics (22 percent), those without a high school diploma (19 percent), and those living in households with seven or more people (22 percent). Many of these victims are front-line workers exposed to the virus while on the job.

Those least likely to have had a Covid diagnosis are people aged 65 or older (9 percent), college graduates (11 percent), people who live alone (10 percent), and people with household incomes of $200,000 or more (10 percent). Many of these people were able to stay home or work from home during the pandemic, reducing their exposure to the virus.

Percent of adults who have received a positive Covid-19 diagnosis, as of April 28-May 10

Total 18-plus: 13.8%

Aged 18 to 24: 18.1%

Aged 25 to 39: 14.5%

Aged 40 to 54: 16.5%

Aged 55 to 64: 13.4%

Aged 65-plus: 8.8%

Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, April 28-May 10

Blacks and Whites See Things Differently

How serious a problem is racism in the United States? It depends on who you ask. 

Overall, only 30 percent of adults say racism is an "extremely serious" problem, according to an AP-NORC survey fielded April 29-May 3. The 60 percent majority of Blacks say racism is an extremely serious problem. Only 23 percent of whites feel the same way.

For many whites, racism is no big deal. Take a look...

How serious a problem do you think racism is in the United States?

	Blacks	Whites
Extremely	60%	23%
Very	24	28
Moderately	13	29
Not too/not at all	4	20

Another question on the AP-NORC survey asks, "How serious a problem do you think police violence against the public is in the United States?" While 76 percent of Blacks think police violence against the public is a very/extremely serious problem, only 36 percent of whites agree. Whites are more likely to think violence against the police is the bigger problem, with 47 percent feeling that way. 

Source: AP-NORC, George Floyd's Death: One Year Later

75% Have Received at least One Dose of Vaccine

The increase in the percentage of Americans who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus is slowing down. Seventy-five percent of adults say they have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. The latest survey was fielded April 28-May 10. The 75 percent who reported having gotten at least one dose of the vaccine as of May 10 is up slightly from the 70 percent who reported having done so as of the end of April. 

Percent who have received at least one dose of Covid vaccine as of April 28-May 10

Total 18-plus: 75%

Aged 18 to 24: 61%

Aged 25 to 39: 64%

Aged 40 to 54: 72%

Aged 55 to 64: 83%

Aged 65-plus: 90%

There is not much change in the number who say they probably/definitely will not get the vaccine. During this round of the survey, 28 million said no—down a bit from 29 million at the end of April. Another 16 million say they are unsure about getting the vaccine.  

There are still 18 million adults (7 percent of the population) who say they "definitely will not" get the vaccine, the same as in the previous survey. Among those who say they definitely will not get the vaccine, the three biggest reasons (multiple reasons could be cited) are: 1) don't trust the vaccine (55 percent); 2) concerned about side effects (48 percent); and 3) don't trust the government (46 percent).

Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, April 28-May 10

Remarkable Stability in "Doing Okay"

Three out of four adults say they are doing at least okay financially, according to the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, fielded in the fourth quarter of 2020. The 75 percent figure is identical to what was reported at the same time one year earlier—before the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Fed's 2020 survey asked Americans about their financial wellbeing not only at the end of 2020, but also at two other times during the year as it tracked the impact of the pandemic on household finances. In April 2020, the percentage who said they were doing at least okay financially dipped to 72 percent. By July, it had climbed to 77 percent. This increase, explains the Fed, "is consistent with some interpretations that many aspects of government stimulus measures...appear to have blunted the negative financial effects of the pandemic for many families."

Here are the percentages of adults who said they were doing at least okay financially as of the fourth quarter of 2020 by selected demographic characteristics, and percentage point change since 2019...

Family income

$100,000 or more: 95% (0)

$50,000 to $99,999: 84% (0)

$25,000 to $49,999: 65% (-2)

Less than $25,000: 52% (0)

Race/ethnicity

Black: 64% (-2)

Hispanic: 64% (-2)

Non-Hispanic white: 80% (+1)

Parental status

No children: 78% (+1)

Children: 67% (-4)

Metro status

Metro area: 76% (0)

Nonmetro area: 69% (-3)

Source: Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2020

Just 51% of Births Are to Non-Hispanic Whites

Non-Hispanic whites still account for the majority of births in the United States, but just barely. Fifty-one percent of the women who gave birth in 2020 were non-Hispanic white. Given that some of these non-Hispanic white mothers are intermarried—meaning their partner is of another race or Hispanic origin—the minority share of the nation's newborns is likely above 50 percent. 

The non-Hispanic white share of births has fallen by 8 percentage points over the past two decades. The Black share has fallen slightly, while the Asian and Hispanic shares have grown...

Percent distribution of births by race/Hispanic origin of mother, 2000, 2010, and 2020

	2020	2010	2000
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
Asian	6.1	6.2	4.9
Black	14.7	14.7	14.9
Hispanic	24.0	23.6	20.1
Non-Hispanic white	51.0	54.1	58.2

Note: Percentages will not sum to 100 because not all races are shown. 

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics' Birth Data

10% Are Intermarried

Ten percent of marriages are between spouses of two different races or between an Hispanic and a non-Hispanic, according to a Census Bureau analysis of 2016 American Community Survey data. The analysis examined intermarriage patterns among currently married women who have married only once. 

Percent intermarried* by race and Hispanic origin

52.1% of American Indians/Alaska Natives

22.4% of Hispanics

20.6% of Asians

  8.0% of Blacks

  5.1% of non-Hispanic whites

Percent intermarried* by age

16.7% of those aged 15 to 24

15.2% of those aged 25 to 34

13.3% of those aged 35 to 44

10.3% of those aged 45 to 54

  5.9% of those aged 55 or older

Percent intermarried* by education

  7.2% of high school dropouts

  8.1% of high school graduates

11.5% of those with some college

11.3% of those with a bachelor's degree

11.7% of those with a graduate/professional degree

*Among currently married women who have married only once.

Source: Census Bureau, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2016

Below Replacement Fertility for College Graduates

The average woman will have 1.7 children in her lifetime according to a National Center for Health Statistics' analysis of 2019 fertility rates by educational attainment. This rate is well below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman. 

Note: The total fertility rate (TFR), as this measure is called, fell even lower in 2020—to 1.6 children per woman. 

The TFR varies by a woman's educational attainment. Among women without a high school diploma, the fertility rate is well above replacement at 2.8 children. Women with a bachelor's degree and no further education have the lowest TFR—just 1.3 children. 

Average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime given the age-specific fertility rates of 2019, by educational attainment

Total women: 1.705

No high school diploma: 2.791

High school graduate only: 2.053

Some college, no degree: 1.808

Associate's degree: 1.312

Bachelor's degree: 1.284

Master's degree: 1.405

Doctorate/professional: 1.523

Source: Census Bureau, Total Fertility Rates, by Maternal Educational Attainment and Race and Hispanic Origin: United States, 2019 (PDF)

Who Favors Proof of Vaccination?

The majority of American adults are in favor of businesses requiring proof of vaccination before people can participate in certain activities over the next few months, according to a Gallup survey. Overall, 57 percent favor requiring proof of vaccination for air travel and 55 percent for attending events with large crowds. 

There is a deep partisan split on whether businesses should require proof of vaccination, however. The majority of Democrats favor proof of vaccination for all of the selected activities, while only about a quarter or fewer Republicans feel the same way.

Percent who favor businesses requiring proof of vaccination before participation in activity

	total	Democrats	Republicans
Air travel	57%	85%	28%
Events with large crowds	55	82	25
Where you work*	45	69	16
Hotel stay	44	66	22
Dine in restaurant	40	62	19

*This question was asked only of those who are employed. 

Source: Gallup, U.S. Support for Vaccination Proof Varies by Activity

Big Spending Declines in 2020

Of course household spending declined in 2020. We know that. We all cut back. But the latest mid-year household spending statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal just how deep those cuts were.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics produces not only calendar-year household spending data, but also mid-year data. The latest release shows average household spending for the July 2019 through June 2020 time period. A comparison of these mid-year data with those from one year earlier captures the dramatic decline in household spending as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. 

Percent change in average household spending on selected products and services, July 2018-June 2019 to July 2019-June 2020 (in 2020 dollars)

  -3.4%: total spending by the average household

 +1.9%: food at home

 +3.8%: maintenance/repairs for owned homes

-14.8%: food away from home

-18.6%: women's clothes 

-20.1%: men's clothes

-27.8%: public transportation

-31.7%: fees and admissions to entertainment events

Overall household spending fell 3 percent by mid-year 2020 compared to the previous mid-year number, after adjusting for inflation. The decline was much greater for the sectors most impacted by the pandemic. Average household spending on fees and admissions to entertainment events plunged 32 percent. Spending on public transportation fell 28 percent. Spending on food away from home (mostly restaurant meals) was down 15 percent. Meanwhile, spending on food at home (groceries) grew 2 percent, and spending on maintenance and repairs for owned homes (home improvements) climbed 4 percent. None of these trends is a surprise.

But there are a couple of surprises uncovered by Demo Memo's analysis of the mid-year spending statistics. Average household spending on alcoholic beverages did not increase as some have suggested. Instead, spending on alcoholic beverages fell 4 percent between 2018-19 and 2019-20, after adjusting for inflation. This decline likely is the result of greatly reduced alcoholic beverage spending at bars and restaurants during the pandemic. Another surprise was a decline in spending on pets. With so many working from home, there were reports of a surge in new pet owners. But average household spending on pets fell 5 percent between 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Survey

2020 Drop in Births Is 9th Largest

The 143,000 drop in births in 2020 was the ninth largest single-year decline in more than a century of record keeping. What were the eight bigger declines? Take a look...

10 largest annual declines in births (and reason for decline)

1. 1972: -298,000 (birth of Generation X)

2. 1965: -267,000 (birth of Generation X)

3. 1919: -208,000 (Spanish flu pandemic)

4. 1948: -180,000 (taking a breather from increases immediately after World War II)

5. 1971: -175,000 (birth of Generation X)

6. 1922: -173,000 (taking a breather from increases immediately after World War I)

7. 1944: -165,000 (World War II)

8. 1966: -154,000 (birth of Generation X)

9. 2020: -143,000 (Covid pandemic)

10. 1933: -133,000 (Great Depression)

The birth years of Generation X account for 4 of the 10 largest annual declines in births (1965, 1966, 1971, and 1972). The original "baby bust" generation was born during the years 1965 through 1976. 

The third largest decline in births, in 1919, was a consequence of the Spanish flu pandemic. It remains to be seen whether the coronavirus pandemic will lead to a larger decline in births in 2021 than in 2020, but it's a possibility. Here's why. Covid's impact on births was fully realized only in the last month of 2020. December 2020 births were a substantial 8 percent below the number of births in December of 2019, a much larger decline than in any other month of the year. Most of those December births were conceived in March, at the very beginning of the pandemic. It's likely there also will be a substantial decline in the number of births conceived during the months of April, May, and June of 2020, reflecting the hesitancy of young adults to have children in the midst of a growing pandemic. The 2021 decline in births, if there is one, could be larger than the one in 2020.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of National Center for Health Statistics and Census Bureau data

It Won't Be Long

In the 2020 presidential election, the Millennial and Gen Z generations accounted for just 38 percent of voters although their share of the citizen population is a larger 42 percent. Sure, the voter turnout of younger adults was higher than ever, but it doesn't match the turnout of older generations. That's about to change.

As Millennials and younger generations age, their voter participation rate will rise. Not long from now, the younger generations will become the majority of voters. In the 2024 presidential election, 45 percent of voters will be members of the Millennial and younger generations, according to Demo Memo projections. By 2028, they will be 51 percent of voters...

Millennial and younger generation share of voters in presidential elections

2020: 38%

2024: 45%

2028: 51%

Note: Demo Memo's projections of voters are based on the percentage of citizens who voted in 2020 by single year of age applied to the Census Bureau's single-year-of-age population projections adjusted for citizenship status. 

Of course, the voting dominance of Millennials and younger generations will just keep growing. By 2040, they will account for fully 70 percent of voters.

Source: Demo Memo projections of voters based on the Census Bureau's Voting and Registration in the  Election of November 2020 and 2017 Population Projections Tables

70% Have Received at least One Dose of Vaccine

Nearly three-quarters of American adults have now received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. The latest survey was fielded April 14-26. The 70 percent who reported having had the vaccine as of the last two weeks of April is up substantially from the 47 percent who reported having been vaccinated one month earlier. 

The biggest increase in the vaccination rate between March and April was among young adults. The percentage of 18-to-24-year-olds who have received at least one dose of the vaccine jumped from just 19 percent at the end of March to the 53 percent majority by the end of April.

Percent who have received at least one dose of Covid vaccine as of April 14-26

Total 18-plus: 70%

Aged 18 to 24: 53%

Aged 25 to 39: 57%

Aged 40 to 54: 66%

Aged 55 to 64: 78%

Aged 65-plus: 88%

There is continuing erosion in the number who say they probably/definitely will not get the vaccine. During this round of the survey, 29 million said no—down from 39 million in the last half of March. Some of the decline in naysaying is due to the fact that the Census Bureau added a new category of response in this iteration of the survey: "Unsure about getting a vaccine." Fully 17 million say they are unsure. 

Overall, 18 million adults (7 percent of the population) say they "definitely will not" get the vaccine, numbers that barely changed between March and April. Non-Hispanic whites are most likely to say they definitely will not get the vaccine (7.5 percent), followed by Blacks (6.8 percent), Hispanics (5.1 percent) and Asians (3.0 percent).

Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey, April 14-26

Births in 2020: The Covid Baby Bust Begins

The number of births in the United States fell to 3,605,201 in 2020, the smallest number since 1979 and 143,000 fewer than in 2019. Behind the large drop in births is the ongoing fertility decline among American women as well as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.  

Births peaked in the U.S. in 2007, when 4.3 million babies were born. The 2020 figure is 16 percent below that peak and 4 percent below the 2019 number. The birth decline intensified as 2020 progressed, according to National Center for Health Statistics data. In the first six months of the year, monthly births were about 2 percent below the 2019 numbers. By December 2020, they were 8 percent below what they had been a year earlier.  

Number of births for selected years (in 000s)

2020: 3,605
2019: 3,748
2018: 3,792
2017: 3,856
2016: 3,946
2015: 3,978 
2007: 4,316 (record high)

The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 (the general fertility rate) fell to 55.8 in 2020. This was 4 percent lower than in 2019 and a new record low. 

The fertility decline is occurring in most age groups, with birth rates for women aged 15 to 19, 20 to 24, and 25 to 29 hitting new record lows in 2020. The fertility rate of 20-to-24-year-olds has fallen by a stunning 40 percent since 2007. 

The total fertility rate—the number of births a woman can expect in her lifetime given current age-specific fertility rates—fell to a record low of 1.637.5 in 2020. This is well below the 2.1 replacement level. "The rate has generally been below replacement since 1971 and has consistently been below replacement since 2007," NCHS reports.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Provisional Data for 2020

College Enrollment Rate Dropped in 2020

The college enrollment rate dropped in 2020. Only 62.7 percent of young adults who graduated from high school in 2020 had enrolled in college by October of that year, down from 66.2 percent in 2019. The decline "reflects the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic," the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Black high school graduates were the only ones whose college enrollment rate increased in 2020. 

College enrollment rate, 2020 (and percentage point change 2019—20)

Total: 62.7% (-3.5)

Asians: 83.2% (-6.7)

Blacks: 56.6% (+5.9)

Hispanics: 56.2% (-7.2)

Whites: 62.9% (-4.0)

Note: The college enrollment rate is defined as the percentage of 2020 high school graduates aged 16 to 24 who had enrolled in college by October of that year. The white race category includes Hispanics who identify themselves as white, which most do. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 62.7 Percent of 2020 High School Graduates Enrolled in College, down from 66.2 Percent in 2019

Huge Voter Turnout in 2020

We knew voter turnout was big in 2020. What we didn't know until now was which demographic segments were responsible for the big turnout. And the answer is—all of them. 

The answer comes from the Voting and Registration Supplement to the Current Population Survey which, according to the Census Bureau, "is the most comprehensive data source available on the social and demographic composition of the electorate in federal elections." The bureau fields the supplement after each mid-term and presidential election to track the demographics of voters. The 2020 supplement was fielded November 15-24, shortly after the presidential election. The supplement asked respondents if they had registered to vote in the November 3 election, whether they had voted, and if not why not.

Overall, 155 million American citizens aged 18 or older reported voting in the November 2020 election—66.8 percent of the electorate. This is the highest voting rate since 1992 (Bill Clinton versus George H.W. Bush), when 67.7 percent voted. 

Voter participation increased in every race and Hispanic origin group in 2020, with record levels of voting by Asians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites. Although Black voter participation was higher in 2020 than in most other election years, it did not set a record. The 62.6 percent Black voter participation rate in 2020 ranked third behind 2008 and 2012 when Barack Obama was running for president.

Percent of citizens aged 18-plus who voted in November 2020 by race and Hispanic origin

Total citizens 18-plus: 66.8%

Asians: 59.7% (record high)

Blacks: 62.6%

Hispanics: 53.7% (record high)

Non-Hispanic whites: 70.9% (record high)

Voter participation also climbed to a record high in every age group in 2020. Among adults aged 18 to 24, voter participation exceeded 50 percent for the first time. 

Percent of citizens aged 18-plus who voted in November 2020 by age group

Total citizens 18-plus: 66.8%

Aged 18 to 24: 51.4% (record high)

Aged 25 to 44: 62.6% (record high)

Aged 45 to 64: 71.0% (record high)

Aged 65-plus: 74.5% (record high)

Overall, 71 percent of voters in the 2020 election were non-Hispanic whites. Sixty percent were aged 45 or older. But the share of all voters who were non-Hispanic whites aged 45 or older fell to 45 percent in 2020, down from 48 percent in 2016.

Source: Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2020