U.S. Growing Bigger, Older, and More Diverse
Within the next few years, the U.S. population is expected to reach twice its 1950 level of 151 million, and that trend will reshape the nation in coming decades. (April 2004)

Slow Going for the Population in Rural America
New county population estimates show rapid growth in U.S. metro areas, and slow growth or population losses in much of small-town and rural America. (April 2004)

Transitions in World Population (PDF: 249KB)
This Population Bulletin chronicles changes in world population in the last century, with a particular focus on the last 50 years. It examines the social and economic factors that affect population change, including wide disparities in income, education, and women's status within countries. It also discusses the heightened international concern since the 1950s about rapid population growth, widespread fertility declines, and the new world consensus reached in the 1990s about how best to respond to population trends.  (BUL59.1, March 2004)

Asian-American Children Are Members of a Diverse and Urban Population
Asian Americans are the most diverse racial/ethnic group in the United States in terms of language, religion, and customs. They are a relatively small proportion of the population, but they have a history of collaboration and coalition work extending from Maui to Manhattan, forming diverse groups at local to international levels. (January 2004)

Economic, Social, and Demographic Losses and Gains Among American Indians
Members of the 558 federally recognized American Indian tribes are found throughout the United States. Their population is relatively young, with a median age of 28 years; and they have comparatively large families of 3.6 people. American Indians have lower median incomes than the general population, but they need to provide for a proportionately larger pool of dependent youths and children. Furthermore, the high school dropout rate for American Indians is much higher than average and they experience a much higher rate of child poverty than is the case in the general population. (January 2004)

The Poor-Rich Health Divide
Sweeping changes in public health have transformed life over the past century. Even so, the past century’s revolution in health and well-being is incomplete. For the more than 1 billion people living on less than US$1 per day, health services and modern medicines are still out of reach, and many initiatives to improve the health of people in extreme poverty have been unsuccessful. (January 2004)

Gender, Health, and Development in the Americas 2003

 This data sheet profiles gender differences in health and development in 48 countries in the Americas. (December 2003)

Population: A Lively Introduction (PDF: 260KB)

 In the new 4th edition of this Population Bulletin, author Joseph McFalls discusses the basic forces of demographic change — fertility, mortality, and migration — and common assessment measures. Also covered are how these three forces affect a population's size and growth rate, and how population projections are calculated; common demographic variables such as age, sex, and race/ethnicity; and issues and problems associated with population growth. (BUL58.4, December 2003)

Is America Settling Down?
Most Americans consider their population very mobile but, in fact, U.S. citizens now make fewer long-distance moves. (November 2003)

Critical Links: Population, Health, and the Environment (PDF: 340KB)

 The impact of the world’s 6.3 billion people on the environment is unprecedented. The fundamental relationships are easy to grasp: Earth provides energy and raw materials for human activities, and those activities in turn generate pollution and damage to environmental resources, in the process harming human health and well-being. This Population Bulletin explores the critical interactions among population, health, and the environment. (BUL58.3, September 2003)