INTRODUCTION

This report presents data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the Hispanic population1 in the United States. A distinguishing feature of this report is the focus on changes in the social and economic characteristics of Hispanics which have occurred between 1982 and 1985. Most of the data shown in the report were collected in the supplement to the March 1985 Current Population Survey (CPS). Appendix B contains additional data from the March 1982, 1983, and 1984 CPS supplements and the "Social Characteristics" section of this text presents information from other CPS supplements (i.e., October 1984, November 1984, and June 1985 supplements).

This report contains data for the total Hispanic population and its subgroups- Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and other Spanish2 origin. Comparable data for the overall population and the non-Hispanic population also are included. The social and economic characteristics presented include age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, employment status, family composition and size, income, and poverty status.

The March 1982 through 1985 estimates of the Spanish-origin population shown in this report are inflated using survey weights derived from post-census estimates. These post-census estimates of the Hispanic population, developed independently of the CPS, were used to eliminate annual fluctuations in the CPS estimates of the size of the total Hispanic population resulting from sampling variability. In addition, they established a post-census time series of data comparable with the 1980 census information for Hispanics. The use of the independent estimates also allows a more detailed analysis of changes over time in the size and characteristics of the total Hispanic population.3

Independent estimates were developed only for the size of the total Hispanic population and not for subgroups of the Hispanic population because of the unavailability of information on births, deaths, immigration, etc. for the individual Hispanic subgroups. Consequently, population estimates of the Hispanic subgroups, as well as the social and economic characteristics shown in this report, remain subject to sampling error and random annual fluctuations. See appendix A for a discussion regarding the use of independent estimates and a more detailed explanation of the methodology used to develop these estimates of the Hispanic population.

Data on Hispanics from the March 1982 to 1985 CPS's (based on independent estimates of Hispanics) included in appendix B, are not directly comparable with data on Hispanics from prior CPS's. These data also may differ from CPS data for the same survey date which were not adjusted to independent estimates of the Hispanic population.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Hispanic population in March 1985 totaled about 17 million. This represents a 17-percent increase since the 1980 census. By contrast, the non-Hispanic population increased by about 4 percent.

• Both the Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations have aged since 1982; the median age of Hispanics was 25.0 years in March 1985, compared with 23.9 years in 1982.

Between March 1982 and 1985, some evidence exists that the educational attainment level of Hispanics improved. The proportion of Hispanics 25 years and over who completed 4 years of high school or more (48 percent) was higher in March 1985 than

'The terms "Hispanic" and "Spanish" are used interchangeably in this report.

2Unless otherwise noted, persons reporting "Other Spanish" origin are those whose origins are from Spain, or they are Spanish origin persons identifying themselves generally as Spanish, Spanish-American, Hispano, Latino, etc.

3Independent estimates based on a preliminary methodology were first used as population controls for the March 1982 CPS data on Hispanics. These data and an explanation of the preliminary methodology originally were presented in appendixes A and B, Current Population Reports, Series P-20, No. 396, Persons of Spanish Origin in the United States: March 1982. Subsequently, this methodology was

refined and used to produce the March 1983, 1984, and 1985 CPS data included in this report. A more detailed explanation of the refined methodology used to develop the current independent estimates of the Hispanic population is contained in appendix A of this report.

The independent estimates were developed using the 1980 census data on Hispanics by age and sex as a base. These 1980 figures were updated to post-census dates by estimating (1) the number of Hispanic births, (2) the number of Hispanic deaths, (3) the number of immigrants of Hispanic origin, (4) the net movement of persons to and from Puerto Rico, (5) the change in the resident Hispanic personnel in the Armed Forces, and (6) the change in the Hispanic institutionalized population.

in 1982 (45 percent). This improvement, however, did not lessen the gap in educational attainment between Hispanics and non-Hispanics because the non-Hispanic population also experienced a comparable improvement in their educational attainment level.

• There is some statistical evidence that the proportion of Hispanic married-couple families was lower in 1985 than in 1982. In March 1985, 72 percent of Hispanic families were maintained by married couples, down from the 74 percent in 1982. The apparent change between 1982 and 1985 in the proportion of Hispanic families maintained by women (no husband present) was not statistically significant (21.5 and 23.0 percent, respectively).

• The employment outlook for Hispanics has improved. The unemployment rate for Hispanics 16 years old and over was 11.3 percent in March 1985, compared with 13.4 percent in 1982.

• Although an apparent increase of 15 percent was evident between 1981 and 1984 in the median earnings of Hispanics and non-Hispanics, the effects of inflation, which reduce the purchasing power of the dollar, proved this change to be insignificant.

• The median income of $18,800 for Hispanic families in 1984 was about 14 percent above the 1981 level ($16,500); however, there was no significant change in the real median income of Hispanic families after adjusting for the 14-percent increase in consumer prices between 1981 and 1984. In comparison, the real median income for non-Spanish families increased by 3.5 percent to $27,000 in 1984.

• No statistically significant change was evident in the poverty status of Hispanics despite an apparent increase between 1981 and 1984; in 1981, 23.5 percent of Hispanic families had incomes below the poverty level, compared with 25.2 percent in 1984.

POPULATION GROWTH

The Hispanic population increased by 17 percent between April 1980 and March 1985, compared with a 4-percent increase in the non-Hispanic population.4 Consequently, persons of Spanish origin constituted a larger proportion of the total population in 1985 than they did in 1980 (7 percent and 6 percent, respectively). The sizable increase of the Hispanic population can be attributed to high fertility and low mortality resulting in a large natural increase (i.e., excess of births over deaths), and substantial immigration to the United States from Mexico, Cuba, and other Spanish-speaking countries of Central and South America.5 (See tables A and B.)

SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS

Most of the discussion in this section and the section on economic characteristics, presented below, will focus on changes between 1982 and 1985.

Age. Both the Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations have aged since 1982. In March 1985, the median age for Hispanics was 25.0 years, compared with 23.9 years in 1982. Despite this change, the median age of Hispanics remains about 7 years below that of nonHispanics (table D).

Educational attainment. Some evidence exists that the educational attainment level of Hispanics improved between

*Changes for the Hispanic subgroups between the 1980 census and the March 1985 CPS cannot readily be calculated because of the lack of Hispanic subgroup data for the civilian noninstitutional population in the 1980 census.

5 A substantial number of Cubans (about 126,000) entered the United States immediately following the official date of the 1980 census (April 1) and, hence, were not included in the 1980 census count of Hispanics. In addition, other legal immigration between April 1, 1980, and April 1, 1985, accounted for about 760,000 persons.