How to get census data during the government shutdown
We’ve found that there are still several ways to access government data.
Lessons from the German census
When the results of the 2011 German census were announced recently, they included an embarrassing error – at least in the demographics world. It showed the German population was 1.5 million people short of what the government had expected. The news dealt a blow to Germany’s reputation for efficient record-keeping, and it’s also relevant to […]
Slideshow: U.S. Hispanic Population Trends
Key findings from the Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2011.
Census Bureau Lowers Forecast and ’Loses’ 39 Million Future Americans
The Census Bureau’s new national population projections released this week forecast markedly lower growth for the nation in the coming decades—especially from immigration—than the last official projection in 2008.
Should the American Community Survey Be Voluntary?
Tests show that if Americans were not required by law to respond to census surveys response rates would drop significantly and the cost of obtaining reliable data would rise considerably.
Census Bureau Considers Changing Its Race/Hispanic Questions
The Census Bureau presents new research tomorrow that attempts to address the frequent mismatch between Americans’ self-identity and the race or Hispanic categories they are offered on their census questionnaires.
Hispanic Poverty Rate Highest In New Supplemental Census Measure
Hispanics have the highest poverty rate of the nation’s largest racial and ethnic groups under an alternative Census Bureau calculation known as the Supplemental Poverty Measure. The alternative measure is intended to better reflect the costs of basic living expenses as well as the resources people have to pay them.
How many U.S. residents were missed in the census?
Senior research staff answer questions from readers relating to all the areas covered by our seven projects, ranging from polling techniques and findings, to media, technology, religious, demographic and global attitudes trends.
How Accurate Are Counts of Same-Sex Couples?
Two decades after the Census Bureau began offering people the option to describe themselves as a same-sex “unmarried partner,” producing accurate numbers on same-sex couples remains a challenge.
Imputation: Adding People to the Census
When census-takers can’t reach anyone at a particular address or obtain information about occupants in other ways, they sometimes use a last-resort statistical technique called “imputation” to fill in missing data. One marker of the quality of a census is how much it relies on imputation to add people to the count.
