From the dense, glittering cities where over 80% of Americans live to the vast, open landscapes averaging just 36 people per square kilometer, the United States in 2023 is a nation of staggering contrasts and constant evolution, as revealed by its latest demographic, economic, and social statistics.
Key Takeaways
- The estimated resident population of the United States as of July 1, 2023, was 334,914,895 people.
- In 2022, the median age of the U.S. population was 38.9 years.
- As of 2023, approximately 18.7% of the U.S. population was aged 65 years and older.
- The real GDP of the United States in 2023 was $27.36 trillion.
- The U.S. GDP growth rate in 2023 was 2.5%.
- Unemployment rate in the U.S. averaged 3.6% in 2023.
- Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 77.5 years in 2022.
- Age-adjusted death rate was 879.7 per 100,000 in 2022.
- Infant mortality rate was 5.44 per 1,000 live births in 2022.
- High school graduation rate was 87% for the class of 2023.
- Public school enrollment was 49.6 million students in fall 2023.
- Bachelor's degree or higher attainment among 25-34 year olds was 40% in 2023.
- U.S. land area is 9,147,420 square kilometers.
- Forested land covers 33% of U.S. land area, or 310 million hectares in 2023.
- Annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels were 4.8 billion metric tons in 2022.
America is a diverse and aging nation experiencing slow population growth and economic expansion.
Demographics
- The estimated resident population of the United States as of July 1, 2023, was 334,914,895 people.
- In 2022, the median age of the U.S. population was 38.9 years.
- As of 2023, approximately 18.7% of the U.S. population was aged 65 years and older.
- The U.S. population density in 2023 was about 36 people per square kilometer.
- In 2021, 41.1% of the U.S. population lived in the South census region.
- Foreign-born individuals made up 13.9% of the U.S. population in 2022.
- The total fertility rate in the U.S. in 2022 was 1.64 children per woman.
- As of 2023, the largest racial or ethnic group in the U.S. was White alone (non-Hispanic) at 59.1%.
- Hispanic or Latino individuals comprised 19.1% of the U.S. population in 2022.
- Black or African American alone (non-Hispanic) accounted for 12.1% of the population in 2022.
- Asian Americans made up 6.3% of the U.S. population in 2022.
- In 2022, 98.4% of U.S. births were to mothers aged 15-44.
- The U.S. net international migration contributed 1,051,000 people to population growth in 2022-2023.
- Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 77.5 years in 2022.
- Urban areas housed 82.8% of the U.S. population in 2020.
- The average U.S. household size in 2022 was 2.51 persons.
- In 2022, 28.4% of U.S. households were single-person households.
- Married-couple households represented 47.8% of all U.S. households in 2022.
- Female householders with no spouse present were 14.4% in 2022.
- Male householders with no spouse present accounted for 4.9% in 2022.
- Nonfamily households made up 35.3% of U.S. households in 2022.
- The U.S. population growth rate from 2022 to 2023 was 0.49%.
- Natural increase (births minus deaths) added 139,000 people to the U.S. population in 2022-2023.
- In 2023, California had the largest state population at 38,940,231.
- Wyoming had the smallest state population in 2023 at 587,618.
- The U.S. sex ratio in 2022 was 97 males per 100 females.
- Children under 18 made up 21.7% of the population in 2022.
- Working-age population (18-64) was 61.0% in 2022.
- In 2022, the U.S. had 131.4 million households.
Demographics Interpretation
America is aging gracefully yet minimally reproducing, preferring to pack itself into cozy urban clusters while consistently reinvigorating its 335-million-person patchwork through immigration, proving the national motto should really be "E Pluribus, Still Making Pluribus."
Economy
- The real GDP of the United States in 2023 was $27.36 trillion.
- The U.S. GDP growth rate in 2023 was 2.5%.
- Unemployment rate in the U.S. averaged 3.6% in 2023.
- U.S. labor force participation rate was 62.6% in 2023.
- Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 2.7 million in 2023.
- Average hourly earnings for all private employees rose 4.1% in 2023.
- U.S. federal debt held by the public was $26.3 trillion as of September 2023.
- The U.S. current-account deficit was $818.3 billion in 2023.
- U.S. exports of goods and services were $3.0 trillion in 2023.
- Imports of goods and services to the U.S. totaled $3.8 trillion in 2023.
- Consumer spending accounted for 68.2% of U.S. GDP in 2023.
- Investment in U.S. GDP was 17.6% in 2023.
- Government consumption and investment made up 17.0% of GDP in 2023.
- U.S. corporate profits after tax were $3.3 trillion in 2023.
- Personal income in the U.S. increased 6.6% in 2023.
- Disposable personal income rose 5.1% in 2023.
- The U.S. personal saving rate averaged 3.8% in 2023.
- Housing starts in the U.S. totaled 1.41 million units in 2023.
- U.S. manufacturing output grew 0.8% in 2023.
- Retail sales in the U.S. increased 3.3% in 2023.
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 37,689.54 on December 29, 2023.
- S&P 500 index returned 24.2% in 2023.
- U.S. inflation rate (CPI) was 3.4% in 2023.
- Core CPI inflation averaged 4.1% in 2023.
- Producer Price Index rose 1.2% in 2023.
- U.S. national debt-to-GDP ratio was 97.3% in 2023.
- Federal budget deficit was $1.7 trillion in fiscal year 2023.
- U.S. household debt reached $17.5 trillion in Q4 2023.
- Small business optimism index averaged 102.5 in 2023.
Economy Interpretation
Despite a booming stock market and falling unemployment, the American economic engine in 2023 was a case of sturdy growth running on a concerning mix of consumer confidence, corporate profit, and an alarming amount of borrowed fuel, both public and private.
Education
- High school graduation rate was 87% for the class of 2023.
- Public school enrollment was 49.6 million students in fall 2023.
- Bachelor's degree or higher attainment among 25-34 year olds was 40% in 2023.
- Average undergraduate tuition and fees at public four-year institutions was $9,750 for in-state students in 2023-2024.
- Student loan debt totaled $1.6 trillion owed by 42.6 million borrowers in 2023.
- 57% of bachelor's degree holders were employed full-time in 2023.
- Early childhood enrollment (3-5 year olds) in preschool was 42% in 2022.
- 94% of public schools offered special education services to 7.5 million students in 2022-2023.
- Female students outnumbered males by 0.6 million in higher education in 2022.
- 36% of 25-29 year olds had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2023.
- NAEP reading scores for 4th graders averaged 217 in 2022.
- NAEP math scores for 8th graders averaged 274 in 2022.
- 89% of 25-34 year old women had high school diploma or higher in 2023.
- Pell Grant recipients totaled 6.4 million undergraduates in 2022-2023.
- Federal student aid disbursed $153 billion in 2022-2023.
- Associate's degree attainment among 25-34 year olds was 10% in 2023.
- Teachers' average salary was $69,544 in public schools in 2022-2023.
- Pupil-to-teacher ratio in public elementary schools was 14.5:1 in 2022.
- 98% of public high school students graduated on time in 2022-2023 in some states.
- Community college enrollment was 5.6 million in fall 2023.
- STEM bachelor's degrees awarded: 32% of all in 2021-2022.
- 14% of undergraduates were first-generation college students in 2022.
- Adult literacy rate (prose) was 79% at proficient level in 2023.
Education Interpretation
The American education system presents a landscape where high school graduation is nearly universal and college enrollment is strong, yet it is underpinned by a mountain of debt that calls into question the financial return on a degree that barely half of graduates secure full-time employment with.
Environment
- U.S. land area is 9,147,420 square kilometers.
- Forested land covers 33% of U.S. land area, or 310 million hectares in 2023.
- Annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels were 4.8 billion metric tons in 2022.
- Renewable energy provided 21% of U.S. electricity in 2023.
- Solar power generation reached 164 billion kWh in 2023.
- Wind power generated 434 billion kWh in 2023.
- Total U.S. energy consumption was 100.4 quadrillion Btu in 2022.
- Per capita energy consumption was 93.5 million Btu in 2022.
- Protected land area (national parks, etc.) covers 13% of U.S. land.
- Endangered species listed: 1,370 animals and 928 plants as of 2023.
- Annual precipitation average is 30 inches nationwide.
- Arable land constitutes 16.8% of U.S. land area.
- Freshwater withdrawal for agriculture was 80% of total in 2015.
- Total road mileage is 4.2 million miles in 2023.
- Interstate highway system spans 48,191 miles.
- Public transit ridership was 9.2 billion trips in 2023.
- Air travel enplanements totaled 1.03 billion in 2023.
- Rail freight ton-miles were 1.7 trillion in 2023.
- Municipal solid waste generated 292 million tons in 2018.
- Recycling rate for MSW was 32.1% in 2018.
- Average PM2.5 concentration was 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- Water quality: 53% of assessed lakes were impaired in 2022.
- Coral reef area off U.S. coasts: 3,500 square miles.
- Annual wildfire burned area averaged 7.1 million acres from 2001-2023.
- Total irrigated acreage: 58 million acres in 2017.
- Household electricity use averaged 10,500 kWh per year in 2020.
- Gasoline consumption was 376 million gallons per day in 2023.
Environment Interpretation
The United States is a land of breathtaking contradictions, where the vast forests that soak up our carbon are being outpaced by the sheer volume of emissions we produce, our protected parks shelter thousands of endangered species while our roads and cities sprawl over the landscape, and our growing renewable energy efforts are still chasing the colossal tailpipe of our daily consumption.
Health
- Life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 77.5 years in 2022.
- Age-adjusted death rate was 879.7 per 100,000 in 2022.
- Infant mortality rate was 5.44 per 1,000 live births in 2022.
- Maternal mortality rate was 22.3 per 100,000 live births in 2022.
- Obesity prevalence among U.S. adults was 41.9% in 2022.
- Diabetes prevalence was 11.6% among adults in 2022.
- Heart disease caused 695,000 deaths in 2022.
- Cancer accounted for 609,820 deaths in 2022.
- COVID-19 was the 10th leading cause of death with 49,932 deaths in 2022.
- U.S. spent $4.5 trillion on health care in 2022, or 17.3% of GDP.
- 92.5% of the U.S. population had health insurance in 2022.
- 8.4% of the population was uninsured in 2022.
- 91.4% of children under 19 had health insurance in 2022.
- Opioid overdose deaths totaled 81,806 in 2022.
- Suicide rate was 14.2 per 100,000 in 2022.
- 20.8% of U.S. adults reported symptoms of anxiety disorder in 2022.
- 21.0% of adults reported depressive disorder symptoms in 2022.
- 18.5% of adults aged 18-44 had depression in 2022.
- Vaccination coverage for influenza among children 6 months-17 years was 50.8% in 2022-2023.
- Adult influenza vaccination coverage was 44.3% in 2022-2023.
- 93.5% of adults aged 18+ had ever received a COVID-19 vaccine dose as of May 2023.
- HIV diagnoses were 36,547 in 2022.
- 1.2 million people aged 13+ were living with HIV in 2021.
- 19,834 new cancer cases diagnosed per day on average in 2023.
- 5-year cancer survival rate improved to 68.7% for 2014-2020 diagnoses.
Health Interpretation
The United States pours a staggering fortune into healthcare, yet the grim reaper still clocks in for a full shift, collecting lives prematurely from preventable diseases, overdoses, and despair, while obesity and mental health crises loom like uninsured patients in the waiting room.
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