National

Data: International Olympic Committee; Chart: Connor Rothschild/Axios

Olympics medal tracker

Where Team USA and other countries stand in the medal race.

2021 Olympics

Beijing Winter Olympics

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

Data: Axios Research and International Olympic Committee; Chart: Connor Rothschild/Axios

When the Summer Olympics debuted in 1896, 14 nations participated in the 42-competition event.

Why it matters: Those numbers have risen steadily over time, with the U.S. dominating the Games as the Olympics expanded. Now, there are 339 events with 206 nations competing. 

Wealthier countries with more resources have usually taken the most gold. The Soviet Union was the only rival that came close to the U.S. record in the latter part of the 20th century.

China has recently gained ground, a reflection of the country's rapid economic growth. 

Of note: The U.S. has placed in the top three in every Olympics except one, in 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Olympics after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. 

Olympic winners, over time

The U.S. has placed in the top three in every Olympics except one.

When the Summer Olympics debuted in 1896, 14 nations participated in the 42-competition event.Why it matters: Those numbers have risen steadily over time, with the U.S. dominating the Games as the Olympics expanded. Now, there are 339 events with 206 nations competing.

Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Connor Rothschild and Naema Ahmed/Axios 

White, non-Hispanic Americans now account for less than six in 10 people in the U.S. — a more precipitous drop over the past decade than experts expected — and they're no longer the racial-ethnic majority in 13% of U.S. counties.

The big picture: America's identity is shifting with its population.

Redistricting will decide how partisan power is divvied up for the next decade — but in some states, those politically driven decisions may obscure these deeper statistical trends. 

By the numbers: White, non-Hispanic Americans are about 58% of the U.S. population, according to data from the 2020 census released on Thursday. That's lower than the estimates of 60%, and it compares with about 64% in 2010.

They are no longer the racial-ethnic majority in 400 of the nation's 3,100+ counties and county equivalents, up from 340 a decade ago.

Be smart: The pace of the decline may reflect a combination of actual change plus new ways the Census Bureau is asking about demographic identity to capture Americans who identify with more than one race.

The intrigue: Nonwhiteness and diversity are actually two different measures. The Census also has developed a way to calculate diversity based on how likely it is that two people chosen at random within a boundary will be of different races or ethnicities. 

The least diverse state, by this measure, is Maine, at 19%. The most diverse is Hawaii, at 76%. 

More than 400 U.S. counties are now minority white

Non-Hispanic, white Americans now make up less than half of residents in more than 400 counties — up from 340 counties in 2010.

Census

White, non-Hispanic Americans now account for less than six in 10 people in the U.S. — a more precipitous drop over the past decade than experts expected — and they&#x27;re no longer the racial-ethnic majority in 13% of U.S. counties.The big picture: America&#x27;s identity is shifting with its population.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Connor Rothschild

Stories

More than 400 U.S. counties are now minority white

Olympics medal tracker

Olympic winners, over time