Short Reads

Short-form data and analysis from Pew Research Center writers and social scientists. To view all our reports and publications, visit our main Publications page.

short readJun 9, 2026

Pew Research Center illustration showing (from left) Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentina President Javier Milei, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine, U.S. President Donald Trump and Cameroon President Paul Biya. (Getty Images; AFP and Andalou via Getty Images)

As Trump turns 80, only 16 of 186 national leaders are older. The median leader age is 63, while Nepal’s 36-year-old PM is the youngest.

short readJun 17, 2026

short readJun 10, 2026

A Statue of Liberty sculpture is displayed outside a polling station in Arlington, Virginia, on Nov. 4, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

short readJun 5, 2026

A parishioner prays during the Ash Wednesday service at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver on Feb. 18, 2026. (AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

short readsJun 11, 2013

Eligible Latino voters who didn’t go to polls in 2012 outnumbered those who did

While a record 11.2 million Latinos voted in the 2012 presidential election, an even greater number – 12.1 million—eligible voters did not do so.
short readsJun 10, 2013

As the Trayvon Martin case goes to trial, remembering a major media event

Today marks the beginning of what is likely to be a closely watched courtroom battle—the murder trial of George Zimmerman for the fatal shooting of 17-year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida on February 26, 2012. While there has been ongoing coverage of the case and the run-up to the trial, it may be hard […]
short readsJun 10, 2013

Shop online? Many teens do it, but more prefer the store

American teens have long been the country’s most-wired age group. But contrary to the stereotype of hyper-connected teens, they say some things are better done in person.
short readsJun 10, 2013

Another Gender Gap: Men Spend More Time in Leisure Activities

Men spend more time than women – about five hours more a week – in leisure activities such as TV, playing games and sports.
short readsJun 7, 2013

Balancing Act: National Security and Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 Era

Since 9/11, Americans generally have valued protection from terrorism over civil liberties, yet they also have expressed concerns over government overreach and intrusions on their personal privacy.
short readsJun 7, 2013

As It Fights in Syria, Hezbollah Seen Unfavorably in Region

Hezbollah is widely unpopular among publics in the Middle East. Most in Lebanon, which is Hezbollah’s base, have an unfavorable view of it, but opinions differ among religious groups.
short readsJun 7, 2013

Chart of the Week: Newspaper circulation around the world

Journalists and print loyalists who are dejected about the state of the U.S. newspaper business may be comforted — or perhaps made a bit envious — by the knowledge that in at least some other countries, newspaper circulation continues to rise smartly. The chart below, from The Economist’s Graphic Detail blog, uses data from the World Press […]
short readsJun 6, 2013

Cell phone ownership hits 91% of adults

For the first time, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project has found that cell phone ownership among adults has exceeded 90%. Cell phones are now being used by 91% of adults, according to the survey conducted between April 17 and May 19 of 2,252 adults. While the adoption figures are stunning by […]
short readsJun 6, 2013

In your words: Views of same-sex marriage, homosexuality

In several nationwide surveys the Pew Research Center conducted in 2013, we gave respondents the opportunity to give their thoughts about issues related to same-sex marriage and homosexuality.
short readsJun 6, 2013

Most Americans say global warming is real, but opinions split on why

Nearly seven in 10 Americans agree that there’s solid evidence the earth’s average temperature has been rising over the past few decades.

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Short Reads

As Trump turns 80, who are the oldest – and youngest – current world leaders?

What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Americans are more dissatisfied with how their democracy is working than people in other high-income countries

Vance is among 1.5% of Americans who have converted to Catholicism

Eligible Latino voters who didn’t go to polls in 2012 outnumbered those who did

As the Trayvon Martin case goes to trial, remembering a major media event

Another Gender Gap: Men Spend More Time in Leisure Activities

Balancing Act: National Security and Civil Liberties in Post-9/11 Era

As It Fights in Syria, Hezbollah Seen Unfavorably in Region

Chart of the Week: Newspaper circulation around the world

Cell phone ownership hits 91% of adults

In your words: Views of same-sex marriage, homosexuality

Most Americans say global warming is real, but opinions split on why

Short Reads

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