INTRODUCTION

This report provides a statistical description of the social, economic, and demographic characteristics of persons of Spanish origin in the United States. The information presented is compiled from data collected in the March 1976 Current Population Survey (CPS).1 Persons of Spanish origin were identified by a question asking for self-identification of the person's origin or descent.

Specifically, this report includes information on the total population of the United States and the population of Spanish origin and its subcategories (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, and other Spanish origin). Age, marital and family status, education, employment, occupation, income, and other characteristics of these populations are featured in the various tables and graphs shown in the report.

POPULATION SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION

According to the March 1976 CPS, 11.1 million persons, or about 5.3 percent of the overall population, identified themselves as of Spanish origin; this included 6.6 million persons of Mexican origin, 1.8 million persons of Puerto Rican origin, about 700,000 persons of Cuban origin, and about 2.1 million persons reporting themselves of Central or South American and other Spanish origin (tables A and B).

CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS

Age. The Spanish origin population in March 1976 included a substantial proportion of young persons; about 13 percent of all persons of Spanish

1 Data on persons of Spanish origin included in this report are directly comparable with Spanish population data collected in the Current Population Surveys of March 1973, March 1974, and March 1975. However, the data are not as directly comparable with years prior to 1973 because of the changes and innovations made in the CPS of March 1973 for collecting data

on the Spanish population; see Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 264, "Persons of Spanish Origin in the United States: March 1973." For an explanation of comparability with the 1970 census, see the above report and page 15 of this report.

origin were under 5 years old, and 44 percent were under 18 years old. In the entire Nation, however, only 7 percent of the population were under 5 years old, and 31 percent were under 18 years old. At the same time, the proportion of older persons was smaller for the Spanish population than for the overall population: only 4 percent of all Spanish origin persons were 65 years old and over compared to 10 percent for the overall population.

Furthermore, there were significant differences in the age composition by type of Spanish origin. The population of Mexican and Puerto Rican originprobably because of high fertility-constituted a mostly young population, each with a median age of 20 years old. In contrast, the Cuban origin population-reflecting the older ages of those who left Cuba in large numbers to enter the United States in the early 1960's-was substantially older with a median age of 37 years old.

The median age of Spanish origin men, 20 years old, was lower than the median age of Spanish origin women, at 22 years old (tables C, 2, and 3).

Marital Status. Mainly because women, in general, marry at younger ages than do men, there were single Spanish origin women in March 1976; about proportionally more single Spanish origin men than one of every three men of Spanish origin 14 years old and over was single compared to only one of every four Spanish origin women.

About the same proportion (61 percent) of Spanish origin men as of Spanish origin women reported themselves as married. By contrast, there were more divorced Spanish women (236,000) than there were divorced men of Spanish origin (99,000). And because mortality of females is generally lower than for males, the proportion of widowed Spanish women was higher (6 percent) than the proportion of widowed Spanish origin men (2 percent).

In particular, sex differences in marital status were also noted by type of Spanish origin. A larger proportion of Puerto Rican women were divorced (7 percent) than were Puerto Rican men (3 percent); and similarly, about twice as many Mexican women as Mexican men were reported divorced (6 percent versus 3 percent, respectively). See tables D, 5 and 6.

Education. In March 1976 about 19 percent of Spanish origin persons 25 years old and over had completed fewer than 5 years of school, and about 61 percent of all Spanish persons 25 years old and over were not high school graduates.

However, younger generations of Spanish persons are rapidly raising their educational attainment level; for example, the proportion of adults of Spanish origin with less than 5 years of school was only 5 percent for those 25 to 29 years old compared to 51 percent for those 65 years old and over.

In addition, significant differences in educational attainment existed between the subcategories of Spanish origin. About 24 percent of persons of Mexican origin 25 years old and over had completed less than 5 years of school; the corresponding proportion for persons of Puerto Rican origin was 19 percent. Underscoring this difference in educational attainment between the Spanish ethnic groups are persons of Cuban origin. These persons have a relatively high educational level compared to persons of Mexican or Puerto Rican origin; for example, only 10 percent of Cubans 25 years old and over had completed less than 5 years of school, and about 52 percent of all Cuban persons in that age category had completed 4 years of high school or more (tables E, 7, and 8).