Sep 15, 2018

U.S. has highest share of foreign born in more than 100 years

Stef W. Kight

Despite President Trump's crackdown on immigration, there were more than 44.5 million people living in the U.S. last year who had been born in foreign countries — the highest share of the population since 1910, according to new data released by the Census Bureau.

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau; CHART: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Two noteworthy trends: 1) Of the immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in the past 8 years, 41% were born in Asia and 39% in Latin America — a dramatic shift as more than half of those who arrived in the U.S. before 2010 had been born in Latin America. 2) A higher share of this population had at least a bachelor's degree in 2017 than in 2016.

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Stef W. Kight

The 2010s saw a fall in the number of American kids

Data: William H. Frey analysis of U.S. Census estimates released Dec 30, 2019; Map: Danielle Alberti/Axios

There are 1.1 million fewer children living in the U.S. today than there were at the start of the decade, according to an analysis of new Census data by the Brookings Institution's William Frey.

The big picture: The adult population grew by 8.8% in the 2010s. in the three previous decades, the child population increased. The past decade marks a pivotal moment as the U.S. ages and, as a result, family life is transformed — especially because Americans are waiting longer to have children and having fewer of them.

Go deeperArrowJan 2, 2020
Kyle Daly

Facebook lays out policy banning census misinformation

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at an October event. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Facebook on Thursday said it's banning posts and ads that discourage people from taking part in the 2020 Census or mislead them about how to do it, a move the company promised was in the works earlier this year.

Why it matters: Advocacy groups have long warned that misinformation can be used to depress census participation, skewing results and leading to under-representation for immigrants, people of color and other marginalized groups when the census is later used to draw political districts.

Go deeperArrowDec 19, 2019
Stef W. Kight

Census data projects shift in states' congressional power

Data: Brookings analysis of U.S. Census data; Table: Naema Ahmed/Axios

California is projected to lose a congressional seat for the first time next year, while states President Trump won such as Texas and Florida will likely gain seats, according to an analysis of new Census data by the Brookings Institution's William Frey.

Why it matters: It only takes a handful of seats to shift a party's power in Congress for a decade. The new data underscores the need for an accurate 2020 Census count, especially with changing demographics in states with booming populations such as Florida, Texas and Arizona.

Go deeperArrowUpdated Dec 30, 2019