Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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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.

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  • short reads

    New Media Diversity

    In only one of 29 weeks studied did blogs, Twitter and YouTube share the same top story — a week in June 2009 focused on the Iranian protests.

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    Older Mothers

    In 2008, more children were born to women older than age 34 (14% of all births) than to women younger than age 20 (10%).

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    Unmarried Mothers

    A record four-in-ten births were to unmarried women in 2008.

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    Polling: The Cell Phone Challenge

    A quarter of households have no landline service, posing a large problem for pollsters who rely on telephones to reach potential respondents.

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    Hispanics and the GED

    Just one-in-ten among Hispanic high school dropouts has a GED, far less than the percentages of white (29%) and black (20%) high school dropouts with GEDs.

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    Post Spill, Still Drill?

    Though fewer Americans support offshore oil drilling in the wake of the Gulf spill, a majority still supports new drilling.

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    Reaction to “Libertarian” Divided

    The word “libertarian” draws a mixed reaction from Americans, with as many having a positive (38%) as negative (37%) response to the word.

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    Episcopalians Accept Homosexuality

    As the U.S. Episcopal Church consecrates its first lesbian bishop, fully 70% of its members say homosexuality should be accepted by society as a way of life.

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    Throw the Bums Out

    Just four-in-ten voters want to see their representative reelected this year.