The Economics Section - Page A4
December 27, 1996 U.S. Population To Exceed 266.5 Million in 1997
by Betty A. Anderson, Staff Reporter, The Daily RepublicanWASHINGTON DESK - The population of the U.S. has increased from 3.9 million in 1790 to 266.5 million by the close of business on December 31, 1996. That is 2.3 million or 0.9% more than it had this time last year!
The Economics Institute of Washington D.C. reported Friday that the Commerce Department population figures indicate that 3.8 million Americans were born during 1996 and 2.3 million died. There were 809,000 legal immigrants. According to Official estimates there were more than 1 million illegal immigrants entering the U.S. in 1996.
According to George Spencer of the Census Bureau the U.S. population will grow by about 2.4 million during 1997.
The 1997 New Year's Day population total will represent a 7.1 percent increase over the April 1, 1990 census total of 248,718,291.
The Census Bureau collects timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. There are over 100 surveys annually and 20 census surveys each decade. These demographic studies, began with the first census in 1790.
The Census Bureau is a function managed by the Commerce Department and provides the statistical base for the information the Clinton administration wants to release about unemployment rate, educational attainment, housing patterns, size of age cohorts, racial & ethnic composition, earnings, and growth of businesses,industries, and institutions.
For example, according to Economics Institute economist Howard Hobbs, Ph.D., during the first three years of the Clinton administration, study of the Census Bureau data collected thrrough August reveals the fllowing findings:
- The number of births in 1994 fell below the 4 million mark for the first time since 1988.
- California's Hispanic-origin population is expected to double between 1993 and 2020.
- The average American makes 11.7 moves in a lifetime (based on current age structure and average rates of moving by age).
- Thirty-four percent of the nation's 4-year-olds were enrolled in nursery schools in October 1993.
- Among persons 25 years old and over, 80 percent had completed high school and 22 percent had completed four or more years of college in 1993.
- Post-secondary school students paid about $2,650 during the 1990-91 school year for their tuition and fees, books and educational supplies, and room and board.
- The share of households occupied by families fell from 81 percent in 1970 to 71 percent in 1990, and remained at that level in 1994.
- The estimated median age at first marriage in 1994 was 24.5 years for women and 26.7 years for men.
- More than one-half (53 percent) of women who gave birth between July 1993 and June 1994 were in the labor force.
- The aggregate amount of child support received in 1991 was $11.9 billion, 67 percent of the total $17.7 billion that custodial parents were due.
- Real median household income fell 7 percent from $33,685 in 1989 to $31,241 in 1993.
Clinton administration Census Bureau publications are derived from government 'surveys' supervised by the Commerce Deepartment under the direction of the Clinton administration. The data are subject to interpretation bias, sampling error, and other sources of contamination. Such data should always be questioned as to validity and reliability.
Independent verification of reported findings of the Clinton administration is necessary. The Daily Republican obtaines indpendent assessments from the economists and statisticians at the Economics Institute which research staff in Palo Alto, Sacramento, and Wash. D.C. campuses.