The U.S. Census Bureau is the leading source of statistical information about the nation’s people. Our population statistics come from decennial censuses, which count the entire U.S. population every ten years, along with several other surveys.

The U.S. Census Bureau is the leading source of statistical information about the nation’s people. Subjects include groups such as children, veterans, and the foreign- born, and characteristics such as age, sex, race, Hispanic origin, migration, ancestry, and language use, as well as health, education, employment, income and poverty.

Federal, state, and local governments, along with businesses, universities, international organizations, and researchers, use the Census Bureau’s population statistics for funding allocations, to inform policy, and to aid in city planning. The public uses these statistics to learn more about their community, the United States, and the world.

Listed below are just a few of the topics available relating to our population data.

• Age and Sex: Understanding a population’s age and sex composition yields insights into changing phenomena and highlights future social and economic challenges.
• Children: All Census Bureau demographic surveys collect information about children. The information collected varies.
• Language Use: English is the language spoken by most people in the United States and is the language used in most governmental functions. The Census Bureau collects data on language use to count the population speaking other languages who might be helped with translation services, education, or assistance in accessing government services.
• Migration/Geographic Mobility: Migration and geographic mobility both refer to the movement of people from one location to another. Whereas migration typically refers to moves that cross a boundary, such as a county or state, mobility includes both short and long-distance moves.
• Population Estimates: The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces estimates of the population for the United States, its states, counties, cities, and towns, as well as for Puerto Rico and its municipios.
• Population Projections: Population projections are estimates of the population for future dates. They are typically based on an estimated population consistent with the most recent decennial census and are produced using the cohort-component method.
• Veterans: Demographic, social, and economic data on veterans are collected on several Census Bureau surveys. These data are used for policy analysis, program planning, and budgeting of veteran programs.

Our population statistics come from decennial censuses, annual surveys such as the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS), and the periodic Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). In addition, the Census Bureau produces Population Estimates and Population Projections. For more information on the surveys, see our Census Survey Explorer or to access the data, visit data.census.gov