Facts For Features (updated
Hispanic Heritage Month 2004
Population
39.9 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2003,
making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest race or ethnic
minority. Hispanics constitute 13.7 percent of the nation’s total
population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of
102.6 million The projected Hispanic population of the
Nearly 67 million The number of people of Hispanic origin
who would have been added to the nation’s population between 2000 and
2050, according to this projection.
The projected percentage increase —
188 percent — would amount to a near tripling.
67% The proportion of Hispanic-origin people who
are of Mexican background. Of the remainder,
14 percent are of Central and South American backgrounds, 9 percent Puerto
Rican, 4 percent Cuban and 7 percent other Hispanic origins.
50% The percentage of
the Hispanic-origin population that lives in
43% The
proportion of
Families
8.5 million The
number of Hispanic families who reside in the
68% The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple.
44% The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple with children under 18.
Spanish Language
29 million The number of
Coming to
40%
The percentage of the Hispanic
population that was foreign-born in 2002. Among the foreign-born Hispanic
population that year, 52 percent entered the
61% The percentage of Hispanic children with at least one foreign-born parent.
9.9 million The number of foreign-born people in 2002 who
were born in Mexico, by far more than any other Latin American country or any
other country in the world for that matter. Other Latin American countries of
origin with more than half a million foreign-born were
Income and Poverty
$32,997 The real median
income of Hispanic households in 2003, down 2.6 percent from the previous year.
22.5% The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2003,
unchanged from 2002.
Education
57% The percentage of Hispanics 25 and over who had
at least a high school education in 2003, up from 53 percent a decade earlier.
11% The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2003, up from 9 percent a decade earlier.
Native residents of Hispanic origin had much higher high-school completion rates (74 percent) and college completion rates (14 percent) in 2003 than their foreign-born counterparts (45 percent and 10 percent, respectively).
2.6 million The number of Hispanics 18 and over who have at least a bachelor’s degree. This is more than double the number in 1990 (1.1 million).
Jobs
36,200 The
number of Hispanic physicians and surgeons. Latinos are represented in a wide
variety of occupations. For instance, there are about 51,400 Hispanic
postsecondary teachers; 34,700 chief executives of businesses; 28,600 lawyers;
5,400 news analysts, reporters and correspondents; and 650 legislators.
22% The percentage of Hispanics who work in service occupations. Another 21 percent work as operators and laborers and 14 percent in managerial and professional occupations. The percentages of Hispanics working in service occupations as operators and laborers were not statistically different.
Proud to Serve
1.1 million
The number of Latino veterans of the U.S. armed forces. About 63,000
Hispanic-origin people were on active duty in 2002 in the United States.
The Census Bureau’s Facts for Features series can be found at http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/factsheets.html
For a complete list of U.S. Census Bureau Press Releases, see: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/index.html
Editor’s note: Some of the preceding data were collected in surveys and, therefore, are subject to sampling error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: (301) 763-3030; fax: (301) 457-3670; or e-mail: pio@census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Public Information Office | (301) 763-3030