An American Profile:

The United States

and Its People

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Table 1
Census

Population, Percentage Change, and Racial Composition for the United States, 17902006
Population of
United States

1790
1800
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2006

Increase over Preceding Census

3,929,214
5,308,483
7,239,881
9,638,453
12,866,020
17,069,453
23,191,876
31,443,321
39,818,449
50,189,209
62,979,766
76,212,168
92,228,496
106,021,537
123,202,624
132,164,569
151,325,798
179,323,175
203,302,031
226,542,199
248,718,302
281,424,603
301,505,316

Number

Percentage

1,379,269
1,931,398
2,398,572
3,227,567
4,203,433
6,122,423
8,251,445
8,375,128
10,370,760
12,790,557
13,232,402
16,016,328
13,793,041
17,181,087
8,961,945
19,161,229
27,997,377
23,978,856
23,240,168
22,176,103
32,706,301
20,080,713

35.1
36.4
33.1
33.5
32.7
35.9
35.6
26.6
26.0
25.5
21.0
21.0
15.0
16.2
7.3
14.5
18.5
13.4
11.4
9.8
13.1
6.7

Racial Composition, Percent Distribution*

White
80.7
81.1
81.0
81.6
81.9
83.2
84.3
85.6
86.2
86.5
87.5
87.9
88.9
89.7
89.8
89.8
89.5
88.6
87.6
85.9
83.9
81.0
80.1

Black
19.3
18.9
19.0
18.4
18.1
16.8
15.7
14.1
13.5
13.1
11.9
11.6
10.7
9.9
9.7
9.8
10.0
10.5
11.1
11.8
12.1
12.7
12.8

Latino
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
4.5
6.4
9.0
12.5
14.8

Asian
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.5
0.7
1.5
2.9
3.8
4.4

*Not every racial group included (e.g., no Native Americans). Persons of Latino origin may be of any race. Data for 1980, 1990, 2000,
and 2006 add up to more than 100% because those who identify themselves as Latino could still be counted as White.
First year for which figures include Alaska and Hawaii.
(Sources: Census Bureau, Historical Statistics of the United States, updated by relevant Statistical Abstract of the United States.)

Figure 1 Population Density and Distribution, 17902000

% Urban*

% Rural

80
24.8

70

30.1

26.5

26.3

73.5

73.7

21.0

36.0

Population per square mile

60

54.3
64.9

50
40

94.9

93.9

92.8

92.8

91.2

89.2

84.7

80.2

75.1

48.8

43.8

43.5

60.3

71.8

30
69.9
51.2

20

56.5

79.0

64.0

45.7
35.1

10
0

56.2

75.2

5.1

6.1

7.2

7.2

8.8

10.8

15.3

19.8

24.9

39.7

28.2

1790 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

*The Bureau of the Census defines urban as communities of 2,500 or more inhabitants.
First year for which figures include Alaska and Hawaii.
(Sources: Census Bureau, Historical Statistics of the United States, updated by relevant Statistical Abstract of the United States.)

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Figure 2 Changing Characteristics of the U.S. Population

Birthrates per thousand women ages 15 44
35

Globally, 2008

Rate

30
25
20
15
10
1900

1920

1960

1940

1980

China

13.7

France

12.7

India

22.2

Japan

7.9

Mexico

20.0

United Kingdom

10.7

2000 08

Median age of population (years)

40

Globally, 2008

Age

30

20

10
1820

1850

1900

1950

2000

China

33.6

France

39.2

India

25.1

Japan

43.8

Mexico

26.0

United Kingdom

39.9

08

Average number of household members

Household size
6

Globally, 2008

China

3.5

France

2.4

India

5.3

Japan

2.6

Mexico

4.3

United Kingdom

2.3

1
0
1790

1850

1880

1910

1940

1970 90 2008

(Sources: B. R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics, 4th ed. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2003; The Economist, Pocket World in Figures,
2008 ed. London: Profile Books Ltd., 2007; CIA World Factbook; Historical Statistics of the United States; and Statistical Abstract of the United
States, relevant years.)

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Life expectancy at birth

80

Globally, 2008

70

Age

60
50
40
30
1900

1920

1940

1960

1980

China

73.2

France

80.9

India

69.3

Japan

82.1

Mexico

75.8

United Kingdom

75.9

2000 08

Infant mortality

Per 1,000 live births

150

Globally, 2008

120
90
Total
Black

60
White
30
0
1920 1930

1950

1970

China

21.2

France

3.4

India

32.3

Japan

2.8

Mexico

19

United Kingdom

4.9

1990 2000 2008

Median age at first marriage

30
28
26
Age

Male

24
22
20
1890

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Female

1910

1930

1950

1970

1990 2000

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Figure 3 Energy Use

Energy Sources Among Countries

France, 1960
Natural Gas
5.32%

Nuclear
0.19%

France, 2004
Oil
Coal
1.03% 5.04%

Oil
3.55%

Hydroelectric
10.53%
Natural gas
3.24%

Coal
36.47%
Hydroelectric
54.47%

Nuclear 79.05%

Japan, 1960

Japan, 2004
Oil 9.18%

Oil
17.06%

Natural gas
0.09%

Coal
32.21%

Coal
27.45%

Nuclear
26.37%

Hydroelectric
50.65%

Natural gas
22.79%

India, 2004

Hydroelectric
8.78%

Mexico, 2004

Oil 5.39%

Coal
10.66%

Nuclear 2.55%
Natural gas
9.48%

Hydroelectric
11.25%

Oil
31.06%

Hydroelectric
12.69%

Coal
69.05%

Natural gas
38.85%
Nuclear
4.1%

United Kingdom, 1960

United Kingdom, 2005

Oil 1.25%

Nuclear
1.6%
Hydroelectric
2.27%

Oil
15.04%

Coal 81.09%

Nuclear
20.35%

Natural gas
40.59%

Coal
34.06%

Hydroelectric
1.25%

(Source: The World Bank.)

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

United States, 1960

United States, 2005

Oil 3.35%

Oil 6.42%
Nuclear 0.07%
Natural Gas
21.14%

Nuclear
19.61%
Coal
53.91%

Coal
50.4%

Natural gas
17.64%

Hydroelectric
18.44%

Hydroelectric
6.54%
Energy Consumption Among Countries

15,000
14,000
13,000
12,000
United States
11,000

kWh per capita

10,000
9,000
Japan
8,000
7,000
6,000
United Kingdom

5,000
4,000
3,000
France

Mexico

2,000

China

1,000

India

0
1960

1964

1968

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2004

CO2 Emissions Among Countries

24
22
20

United States

Metric tons per capita

18
16
14
12
United Kingdom
10
8
France
6
Japan

Mexico

4
China
2

India

0
1960

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1964

1968

1972

1976

1980

1984

1988

1992

1996

2000

2003

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Figure 4 Characteristics of the U.S. Labor Force, 19002007

Gender composition of labor force, 19002007
(percentage of men and women in civilian labor force)

Total labor force (age 16 or over, employed and

unemployed seeking work)

100

160

farm

75

120

Men
Percentage

Millions of persons

140

100
80
60

manual* white collar service

Rank

1900
50

1920
1940

Women

25

40

1960

20
0
1870

Top three occupational categories

(rank based on total numbers) for
workers age 14 and older

1980
1900

1930

1960

1990 2007

0
1900

1920

1940

1960

1980 2000 07

2007

*Manual workers = operators, fabricators, and laborers plus precision production, craft, and repair.
White-collar workers = managerial and professional plus technical, sales, and administrative support.
(Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States and Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years, and Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Handbook of Labor Statistics, relevant years.)

Figure 5 Leading Economic Sectors (various years)

Percentage of value
added contributed

1849
Construction
7.9

Construction
12.6

Manufacturing
32.1

Agriculture
59.3

Agriculture
33.3

1949
Communication 1.6

Agriculture
7.6

Manufacturing
49.3

Mining
4.6

Mining
1.4

Government
8.7

1899

Trade
18.7

Services
8.9

Manufacturing
28.0

Transportation 5.7
Finance,
insurance,
and real
estate 10.8
Mining
3.2
Construction
4.4

2006
Agriculture 0.9
Mining 1.9
Government
Utilities 2.0
Services
11.7
Transportation 2.8
25.6
Communication 4.4
Construction
4.9
Manufacturing
12.2

Trade
12.6

Finance,
insurance, and
real estate
21.0

Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States, Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years, and Bureau of Economic Analysis.)

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Figure 6 Gross Domestic Product Per Capita by

Country, 2008
United
States
United
Kingdom

Figure 7 Comparative Tax Burdens (percentage

of gross domestic product paid as taxes in major
industrial countries, 2006)

$41,640
Sweden

50.1%

$36,830

Japan

$35,390

France

$35,150

Belgium

44.8%

France

44.5%

Italy
Mexico

42.7%

$7,180
Netherlands

China
India

$1,700

39.5%

United
Kingdom

$730

37.4%

Germany

(Source: The Economist, Pocket World in Figures, 2008 ed. London:

Profile Books Ltd., 2007.)

35.7%

United
States

28.2%

Japan

27.4%

(Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years, and

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.)

Figure 8 The Federal Budget Dollar and How It Is Spent, by Major Category
1960
Health
0.9

National
Defense
49

1980

Education
Interest
1.1
7.5
Income
Security*
19.8
Other
21.7

Health
10

2006

Education
5.4

Interest
8.5
Interest
11.2

National
Defense
23.1

Income
Security*
33.9
Other
16.4

Education
4.5

Other
8.8
National
Defense
19.7

Income
Security*
36.6
Health
21.9

*Includes Social Security payments to the elderly and disabled, unemployment compensation, and welfare. Note the shifting emphasis in the budget
from defense spending to health and income security, and to interest payments on the national debt.

(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years.)

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10

An American Profile: The United States and Its People

Figure 9 The U.S. Balance of Trade, 19002006

Billions of dollars

2.60

4.89

1.42

1.40

0.78

2.95

0.19

0.55

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006
100

191.00

165.83

248.22

200

96.90

300

580.00

400
500
600

838.27

700

669.58

454.69

Status of the balance of trade

100

111.04

25.50

800
900

(Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States and Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years.)

Figure 10 Tariff Levies on Dutiable Imports, 18212005 (ratio of duties to value of dutiable imports)

ey
inl

60
Percentage

Ta
ils
rif
o
f,
18
Di n - G
ng o
90
le rm
Pa y T an
yn ar Ta
e iff
r
Un - Ald , 18 iff,
ric 9 18
de
94
rw
h 7
Em oo Tar
iff
d
er
,
1
Fo ge Tar
rd nc iff, 909
19
19 ney y T
1
22 - M ari
cC ff, 3
Sm
um 19
oo
be 21
trT
Re Haw
ar
iff
cip
le
,
y
Ac ro
Ta
t, ca
19 l T riff,
Ge 3 ra
n 4 de 193
Ta era
0
Ag
rif l A
re
fs g
19
em
& ree
62
en
Tr m
Ke Tr
ad en
ts
e, t
nn ad
ed e E
19 on
y
xp
47
Tr
ad Rou an
e
nd sio
Re
,1 nA
Tr
No
ad form 96 ct
7
e
rt
19 &
Ac
Fr h A
84 T
ee m
ar t, 1
iff
9
Ag Tra eric
Ac 74
r d a
t,
19 eem e n
93 en
t,

70

50

18

80

cK

90

28
Co Tar
m iff
pr of
om A
ise bom
Ta
Ta ina
rif
rif
f
t
W of
f, ion
alk 1
18 s
er 84
33
Ta 2
rif
f,
Ta
18
rif
46
M f of
or 1
ril 85
lT 7
ar
iff
,1
86
1

100

40
30
20
10
0
1820

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1890

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000 05

(Sources: Historical Statistics of the United States, Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years, and United States International Trade
Commission.)

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An American Profile: The United States and Its People

11

Figure 11 Gross Domestic Product in Current and Chained 2000 Dollars*

14,000
13,000
12,000
11,000

U.S. dollars (in billions)

10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
Chained 2000 dollars
3,000
Current dollars
2,000
1,000
0
1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

*Chained dollars based on U.S. Department of Commerce measure for expressing real dollars adjusted to inflation. Uses year 2000 as
base year.
(Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States, relevant years.)

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