Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Disparities in Gun Ownership
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
59% Know Someone Who Had an Abortion
Most Americans personally know someone who has had an abortion, according to a Pew Research Center survey fielded in March—prior to the leaking of the Supreme Court's draft opinion in a case challenging Roe v. Wade. "Personally know" is defined as a close friend, family member, or themselves.
There are surprisingly few differences by demographic characteristic in the share of Americans who personally know someone who has had an abortion. At least 50 percent of every demographic segment—with the exception of the youngest adults—personally know someone who has had an abortion.
Monday, August 16, 2021
It's Happening Again
People who identify themselves as some "other race" besides Asian, Black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, or white are the second-largest racial group in the United States, according to 2020 census results. If you're scratching your head trying to figure out just what this "other race" could be, you're not alone. The fact is, most people of "other race" are Hispanics. They checked the "other" category because they could not find the terms "Hispanic" or Latino" as options on the race question of the 2020 census. The federal government considers Hispanic to be an ethnicity, not a race, and it collects information on Hispanic origin with a separate ethnicity question.
This has happened before—on the 2010 Census. Even then, the Census Bureau was concerned about Hispanics checking "other race" on the race question, so it tested an alternative that asked for race and Hispanic origin in a single question. The test proved that the combined question worked much better, reducing the "other race" category to the residual it was meant to be. When presented with separate race and Hispanic origin questions, a substantial 7.1 percent of the population in 2010 checked "other race." When presented with the combined question, just 0.2 percent of the population checked "other race." After these test results were released in 2012, Demo Memo predicted: "Expect a combined race and Hispanic origin question on the 2020 census."
Alas, it was not to be. Although a combined race and Hispanic origin question was planned for the 2020 census, the Trump administration nixed it. So, it's happening again—an enormous "other race" population and lots of confusion.
| 2020 Census | number | % distribution |
| Total population | 331,449,281 | 100.0% |
| RACE: | ||
| American Indian | 9,666,058 | 2.9% |
| Asian | 24,000,998 | 7.2% |
| Black | 46,936,733 | 14.2% |
| Native Hawaiian | 1,586,463 | 0.5% |
| White | 235,411,507 | 71.0% |
| Other race | 49,902,536 | 15.1% |
| HISPANIC ORIGIN: | ||
| Hispanic | 62,080,044 | 18.7% |
| Non-Hispanic white | 191,697,647 | 57.8% |
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
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...
| 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 |
Tuesday, May 04, 2021
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.
Monday, May 03, 2021
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.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Family Unemployment Doubled between 2019 and 2020
Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues a report on the employment characteristics of families. The most recent report, with annual averages for 2020, compares family employment during the coronavirus pandemic with the 2019 numbers. The data come from the Current Population Survey, which defines families as two or more people who live together and are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.
The share of families with at least one unemployed member doubled between 2019 and 2020—rising from 4.9 to 9.8 percent—as the pandemic upended the job market. Hispanic families were most likely to have a family member unemployed in 2020 (14.3 percent), while white families were least likely (9.0 percent)...
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Black Homeownership in 2020 Is below 2000 Level
The overall homeownership rate was lower in 2020 than in 2000, according to the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey. But a look at homeownership rates by race and Hispanic origin reveals that Blacks lost ground between 2000 and 2020 while Asians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites made gains...
| 2020 | 2000 | change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 66.6% | 67.4% | -0.8 |
| Asians | 60.3 | 52.8 | 7.5 |
| Blacks | 45.3 | 47.2 | -1.9 |
| Hispanics | 50.1 | 46.3 | 3.8 |
| Non-Hispanic whites | 75.0 | 73.8 | 1.2 |
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Blacks Are More than Twice as Likely as Whites to Know Someone Who Died from Covid-19
Twenty-two percent of all Americans know someone who died from Covid-19, according to PRRI's 2020 American Values Survey. Blacks are more than twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to know someone who died...
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Covid-19 Recession Endangers Black Wealth
First, the good news. The median net worth of Black households climbed 33 percent between 2016 and 2019, after adjusting for inflation. This was a much bigger increase than the 18 percent rise in the median net worth of all households during those years and far surpassed the 3 percent increase in the median net worth of non-Hispanic white households.
There's more good news. The wealth gap between non-Hispanic whites and Blacks narrowed between 2016 and 2019. Non-Hispanic white households had 10 times the wealth of Blacks in 2016. They had only 8 times the wealth in 2019.
Now for the bad news. The median net worth of Black households was just $24,100 in 2019. Sure, this is 33 percent more than in 2016, but it isn't much of a buffer during a pandemic.
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx?
The preferred term is Hispanic, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino. Fully 61 percent of the Hispanic population prefers the term Hispanic. Another 20 percent prefer the term Latino, and just 4 percent opt for Latinx.
But wait. Most Hispanics have never heard of the term Latinx, which has been introduced recently as a gender-neutral alternative for Latino. Only 23 percent of Hispanics have heard of it. Even among those who are aware of the term Latinx, however, just 10 percent prefer it. Fully 50 percent of Hispanics who have heard of Latinx prefer the term Hispanic, and 31 percent prefer Latino.
Source: Pew Research Center, About One-in-Four U.S. Hispanics Have Heard of Latinx, but just 3% Use It
Monday, August 03, 2020
Teleworking During the Coronavirus Pandemic
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has added five questions to the monthly Current Population Survey, which collects the government's official employment data. The BLS first added the questions in May and plans to continue asking them each month for the foreseeable future. Besides teleworking, respondents are also being asked whether they are unable to work because their employer has closed or lost business, whether they are being paid if they are missing work, and whether the pandemic has prevented them from looking for a job.
The 31 percent who reported teleworking in June was little different from the 35 percent who said they had done so in May. The characteristics of those who are teleworking because of the pandemic are not surprising, but nevertheless striking. Teleworking rises steeply as education increases...
Percent of the employed who teleworked for pay in the past 4 weeks due to the coronavirus, by education, June 2020
4.8% of those without a high school diploma
12.6% of high school graduates only
22.3% of those with some college
48.0% of those with a bachelor's degree
63.3% of those with a graduate degree
By race and Hispanic origin, Asians are far more likely to telework than other race and Hispanic origin groups. This is because Asians are the most educated workers and also the ones most likely to work in management and professional occupations. Hispanics are least likely to telework because they are the least-educated workers and also least likely to be managers or professionals...
Percent of the employed who teleworked for pay in the past 4 weeks due to the coronavirus, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2020
48.5% of Asians
30.8% of non-Hispanic whites
25.7% of Blacks
21.1% of Hispanics
By age, there are few differences in teleworking with one exception. Workers under age 25 are far less likely to telework (15 percent) than those aged 25 to 54 (35 percent) or aged 55 or older (30 percent).
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Supplemental Data Measuring the Effects of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic on the Labor Market
Monday, July 13, 2020
Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of the Police
Only 35 percent of the public thinks police do a good/excellent job of using the right amount of force. Fully 64 percent think police performance by this measure is only fair or poor. In 2016, Americans were more evenly split on this question, with a larger 45 percent rating police use of force good/excellent and a smaller 54 percent saying it was only fair/poor.
Similarly, when it comes to treating race and ethnic groups equally, only 34 percent think the police are doing a good/excellent job, far below the 47 percent who felt this way in 2016. When asked what kind of job police are doing holding themselves accountable for misconduct, only 31 percent say good/excellent, well below the 44 percent of 2016.
Regardless of race or Hispanic origin, most Americans agree that police performance is below par on these three measures. Blacks are especially likely to think so, and the majority of non-Hispanic whites agree.
Police are doing only fair/poor job of using the right amount of force
87% of Blacks
70% of Hispanics
57% of non-Hispanic whites
Police are doing only fair/poor job of treating racial/ethnic groups equally
90% of Blacks
73% of Hispanics
57% of non-Hispanic whites
Police are doing only fair/poor job of holding themselves accountable for misconduct
86% of Blacks
65% of Hispanics
65% of non-Hispanic whites
Source: Pew Research Center, Majority of Public Favors Giving Civilians the Power to Sue Police Officers for Misconduct
Thursday, July 02, 2020
1.1 Million Fewer Children in the United States
Percent change in population under age 18 by race and Hispanic origin, 2010–19
| percent change | |
|---|---|
| Asians | 15.7% |
| Blacks | 0.9% |
| Hispanics | 8.8% |
| Non-Hispanic whites | -7.8% |
The non-Hispanic white share of the nation's children fell from 54 to 50 percent between 2010 and 2019.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2019 Population Estimates
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
The Generations by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019
Generation X most closely mirrors the race and Hispanic origin composition of the population as a whole. Generations younger than Gen X are more diverse than the national average, while those older than Gen X are less diverse.
Although Hispanics outnumber Blacks in the population as a whole, Blacks outnumber Hispanics among Boomers and Older Americans. The Asian share of the population is highest in the Millennial generation at 8.4 percent.
Percent Distribution of the Population by Generation, Race, and Hispanic Origin, 2019
| total | Asian | Black | Hispanic | non-Hispanic white | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 100.0% | 7.0% | 14.7% | 18.5% | 60.1% |
| Recession generation (0-9) | 100.0 | 7.4 | 18.3 | 26.0 | 49.6 |
| Generation Z (10-24) | 100.0 | 7.3 | 17.4 | 24.0 | 52.1 |
| Millennials (25-42) | 100.0 | 8.4 | 15.7 | 20.7 | 55.5 |
| Generation X (43-54) | 100.0 | 7.3 | 13.9 | 18.0 | 60.8 |
| Boomers (55-73) | 100.0 | 5.4 | 11.7 | 10.8 | 71.6 |
| Older Americans (74-plus) | 100.0 | 4.8 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 77.7 |
Note: Numbers may not add to 100 percent because Asians and Blacks are those who identify themselves as being of the race alone or in combination with other races, Hispanics may be of any race, and not all races are shown.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's National Population by Characteristics: 2010–2019
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019
The number of non-Hispanic whites under age 30 declined by 1.7 million between 2016 and 2019, in part because of the ongoing baby bust. The number aged 65 or older climbed by 3.1 million during those years as Boomers filled the age group.
Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2019 (numbers in 000s)
Total: 328,240 (100.0%)
Asian: 22,862 (7.0%)
Black: 48,221 (14.7%)
Hispanic: 60,572 (18.5%)
Non-Hispanic white: 197,310 (60.1%)
Note: Asians and Blacks are those who identify themselves as being of the race alone or in combination with other races. Hispanics may be of any race. Not all races are shown.
Source: Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics, 2010–2019
Monday, June 15, 2020
6% of Adults Have Attended a Protest in the Past Month
Monday, June 01, 2020
Covid-19 Wreaks Economic Havoc
The percentage of Americans who report a loss of employment income since March 13 exceeds 50 percent in every age group under age 55...
Percent experiencing a loss of employment income for self or other household member
Total 18-plus: 48%
Aged 18 to 24: 58%
Aged 25 to 39: 54%
Aged 40 to 54: 56%
Aged 55 to 64: 49%
Aged 65-plus: 27%
By race and Hispanic origin, 60 percent of Hispanics have experienced a loss of employment income. The figure is 55 percent for Blacks, 47 percent for Asians, and 44 percent for non-Hispanic Whites.
Most adults with household incomes below $50,000 have experienced a loss of employment income since March 13. The figure falls as household income rises. But even among those in the most affluent households—with incomes of $200,000 or more—a substantial 31 percent have lost employment income during the pandemic.
Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey: May 14—May 19
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Black Homeownership Lower in 2019 than in 1999
Homeownership Rate by Race and Hispanic Origin, 1999 to 2019
| total | Asian | Black | Hispanic | NH White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 64.6% | 57.7% | 42.1% | 47.5% | 73.3% |
| 2010 | 66.9 | 58.9 | 45.4 | 47.5 | 74.4 |
| 2004 | 69.0 | 59.8 | 49.1 | 48.1 | 76.0 |
| 1999 | 66.8 | 53.1 | 46.3 | 45.5 | 73.2 |
| 1999 to 2019 | -2.2 | 4.6 | -4.2 | 2.0 | 0.1 |
The U.S. homeownership rate peaked in 2004 at 69.0 percent. Between 2004 and 2019, the Black rate fell 7.0 percentage points, much greater than the decline in the homeownership rate of Asians (-2.1), Hispanics (-0.6), or non-Hispanic Whites (-2.7).
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
High School Dropout Rate: 5.4%
The high school dropout rate varies by race, Hispanic origin, and ethnicity. Here are the rates for selected groups in 2017, from highest to lowest...
Percent of 16-to-24-year-olds not enrolled in school and without a high school credential, 2017
Alaskan Native: 15.1%
American Indian: 9.6%
Hispanic: 8.2%
Puerto Rican: 9.3%
Mexican: 7.9%
Dominican: 7.0%
Cuban: 6.6%
Black: 6.5%
Non-Hispanic White: 4.3%
Asian: 2.1%
Filipino: 2.0%
Vietnamese: 1.9%
Korean: 1.6%
Chinese: 1.1%
Among Hispanics, the dropout rate differs depending on whether the young adult is native- or foreign-born. The dropout rate is just 6.3 percent for those born in the United States. Among the foreign-born, the dropout rate is a much higher 15.2 percent.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019