INTRODUCTION

This report presents a statistical portrait of the Hispanic origin population in the United States.1 It is a continuation of the annual series of reports presenting demographic, social, and economic characteristics of persons of Hispanic origin residing in the United States. (A list of previous reports appears in appendix E.) Most of the data shown were collected by the Bureau of the Census in the March 1992 supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS) (see Basic Questionnaire Appendix D), aggregate household income data are shown from 1982 through 1991.2 Hispanic origin was determined on the basis of a question asking for selfidentification of the person's origin or descent (see Origin or Descent Flashcard in appendix D).

Two important new features distinguish this report from previous reports in this series. First, this is the first report on the Hispanic origin population to show the characteristics of persons who are White, but not of Hispanic origin, and compare them to persons of Hispanic origin. For a more detailed explanation, see Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Series P-23, No. 182, Exploring Alternative Race-Ethnic Comparison Groups in Current Population Surveys by Jorge del Pinal, and appendix B Definition of the "White, Not of Hispanic Origin" Comparison Group. Second, this report introduces a new educational attainment variable that asks for specific degree completion levels, rather than just years of school completed.

The data shown include results for the total Hispanic origin population and its subgroups: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and Other Hispanic origin. In addition, data are shown for the total United States population, for total persons not of Hispanic origin and "White not Hispanic" persons.3 The social and economic characteristics presented include age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, occupation, employment status, family and household composition, size, income, and poverty status. (For more

'The population universe in the March 1992 CPS is the civilian noninstitutional population of the United States and members of the Armed Forces in the United Sates living off post or with their families on post, but excludes all other members of the Armed Forces.

2Data on earnings, income and poverty in this report refer to the calendar year prior to the survey. For example, income information collected in March 1992 refers to calendar year 1991.

3 The terms "White not Hispanic" and "non-Hispanic White" are used interchangeably with "White not of Hispanic origin" in this report.

detailed explanations and definitions of the items examined in this report, see appendixes A and B.)

HIGHLIGHTS

This report is the first of the series on the Hispanic origin population in the United States to show data for the "White non-Hispanic" population.

This report also introduces a new educational attainment variable featuring education degrees earned instead of years of school completed.

• In March 1992, 12 percent (± 0.9) of Hispanics, 25 years of age and over had less than a fifth grade education; 36 percent (± 1.4) had from a fifth grade to 12th grade education, without a high school diploma; 27 percent (± 1.3) had a high school degree without any college; and 25 percent (± 1.2) had some college education beyond high school.4

About 2.9 million (± 141 thousand) Hispanic persons 25 years of age and over had some college education beyond high school in March 1992; 488 thousand (+ 66 thousand) had academic or vocational associate of arts degrees; 732 thousand (± 80 thousand) had bachelor's degrees; 227 thousand (± 45 thousand) had master's degrees; and 124 thousand (± 34 thousand) had professional or doctorate degrees.5

• In 1991, the aggregate before tax money income of Hispanic households was $183 billion (± 5.6 billion), about 5 percent (± 0.9) of the United States total income figure of 3.6 trillion (± 29.5 billion). The after tax aggregate income or buying power of Hispanic households was 153 billion (± 5.7 billion), about 5 percent (± 1.0) of the United States total income figure of $2.9 trillion (± 29.0 billion).

• In March 1992, the majority of both Hispanic and White non-Hispanic persons in the civilian labor force had full-time employment (71 percent ± 1.2 and 75 percent ± 0.4, respectively). Among men, 74 percent

"The difference between the proportion of Hispanics with a high school degree without any college and some college education is not statistically significant.

5The 1990 Census recorded 542,709 Hispanic persons with associate of arts degrees, 658,197 with bachelor's degrees and 369,562 with graduate or professional degrees, a difference of 54,709, 73,803 and 18,562 respectively from the March 1992 CPS civilian noninstitutional population.

± 1.4 of Hispanics, compared to 82 percent ± 0.4 of non-Hispanic Whites, had full-time employment. Among women, the difference in the proportion of Hispanic and White non-Hispanic women with full-time employment (66 percent± 1.7 and 68 percent ± 0.5, respectively was not statistically significant. Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women however had lower rates of full-time employment than did the men of their respective group.

• The median earnings in 1991 of Hispanic persons with year round full-time employment was lower than that of non Hispanic Whites. The median earnings of Hispanic men was $19,774 (± 702) about 63 percent of the $31,161 (± 211) earnings of non-Hispanic White men. The median earnings of Hispanic women was $16,230 (± 603) 77 percent of the $21,098 (± 177) earnings of non-Hispanic White women.

• In 1991, 28.8 percent (± 1.5) of Hispanic persons in the United States were living in poverty. Persons of Hispanic origin were about 17.7 percent (± 1.0) of all persons living in poverty.

• About half of all Hispanic persons in poverty were children under 18 years of age (49 percent ± 3.2); 47.3 percent (± 3.2) were between the ages of 18 to 64 years, while about 3.7 percent (± 1.2) were 65 years old and over. Hispanic children represented 21 percent (± 1.7) of all children living in poverty, but were only 12 percent (± 0.6) of children in the United States.

USER NOTE

CPS estimates of the Hispanic origin population shown in this report are inflated to national totals using weights derived from independent post-census estimates. The population controls are based on results of the 1980 census carried forward to 1992. Population controls incorporating 1990 census results will be used for survey estimation beginning in 1993.

These post-census estimates of the Hispanic population were used to eliminate fluctuations in the CPS estimates of the size of the total Hispanic population resulting from sampling variability. Independent estimates were developed only for the total Hispanic population and not for subgroups of the Hispanic population. Consequently, figures on the number of persons in each 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.

HISPANIC POPULATION COMPOSITION

The estimate of the Hispanic origin population in the United States in March 1992, based on the CPS, was about 22.1 million or about 8.8 percent of the total

populations. The Hispanic population consisted of the following groups:

63.6 percent (±.86) Mexican

10.6 percent (.55) Puerto Rican

4.7 percent (± .38) Cuban

14.0 percent (±.62) Central and South American 7.1 Percent (±.46) Other Hispanic

CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSONS

Age. The Hispanic origin population is relatively young with a substantially larger proportion of persons at younger ages than the total population. In March 1992, about 30 percent of all persons of Hispanic origin were under 15 years old compared to 20 percent for the non-Hispanic White population. By contrast, about 5 percent of Hispanics were 65 years old or over, compared to 14 percent of non-Hispanic Whites (table 1).

The median age, the age at which half of the population is older and half is younger, of persons of Hispanic origin was 26.3 years in March 1992 compared to 35.2 years for non-Hispanic Whites. Among Hispanic subgroups, the median age varied from the high of 40.4 years for the Cuban population (about 5 years older than that of non-Hispanic Whites) to a low of 24.4 years old for persons of Mexican origin. The Puerto Rican, Central and South American, and Other Hispanic populations had median ages of 26.9, 28.4 and 32.4 years, respectively.7

Marital Status. The marital status of persons of Hispanic origin 15 years old and over, in March 1992, differed from that of non-Hispanic White persons. Hispanics were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be single never married, 32.9 percent versus 23.4 percent. Hispanics were, however, less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be either married (56.2 percent compared to 60.9 percent), divorced (6.8 percent compared to 8.4 percent), or widowed (4.1 percent compared to 7.3 percent). (table 1)a

Educational Attainment. The March 1992 CPS supplement contained a new educational attainment question similar to that used in the 1990 Decennial Census of Population and Housing. The educational attainment item used in the CPS prior to 1992 was virtually unchanged since the 1940's. This item was a two-part question which allowed the respondent to report the highest

The 1990 Census recorded 22,354,059 Hispanic persons, a difference of 259,000 from the March 1992 CPS civilian noninstitutional population. In 1993 the Census Bureau will introduce Hispanic population controls based on the 1990 Census.

"The difference between the median age of Puerto Ricans and Central and South Americans is not statistically significant.

*The difference between the proportion of Hispanics that are Divorced and Non Hispanic Whites that are Widowed is not statistically significant.

Table A. Educational Attainment of Persons 25 Years and Older: All Persons and Hispanic Persons, by Type of Origin: March 1992 (For the United States. Numbers in thousands)

grade that was attended and whether the grade was completed. The new educational attainment question introduced in January 1992 differs from the old question in the following manner: 1) a single question is now asked, 2) response categories for lower levels of schooling have been collapsed into several summary categories, 3) a new category, "12th grade, No Diploma," had been added, 4) beginning with the response, "High School Graduate - high school diploma or the equivalent (for example DEAD)," the categories identify specific degree completion levels, rather than years in school completed. (See Definition in appendix A.)

Table A displays results for the 16 levels of educational attainment from which respondents were asked to select. Data on eight levels of educational attainment are shown for persons without a high school degree. One level shows results for persons with a "high school diploma or equivalent" and no college education. Seven levels show data on college attainment, and include "Some college but no degree", "Academic" and "Occupational" Associate of Arts, Bachelor's, Master's, Professional and Doctorate degrees.

Figure 1 shows the highest educational attainment of Hispanics 25 years old and over grouped into six educational categories: Less than 1 year of schooling, 1st to 4th grade, 5th to 8th grade, 9th to 12th grade with NO DIPLOMA, high school graduate solely, and Hispanic persons with at least some college education. Figure 2 shows the distribution of college attainment of Hispanics by six categories: Some college no degree,

Associate degree, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Professional degree, and doctorate degree.

Table 1 of the detailed tables summarizes educational attainment for persons with less than a fifth grade education, a high school diploma or more, and a bachelor's degree or more. Results are shown for three age groupings, 25 years and older, 25 to 34 years and 35 years old and older. It shows that about 12 percent of Hispanic persons 25 years of age and over had less than a fifth grade education, 53 percent had a high school diploma or higher, and about 9 percent graduated from college with a bachelor's degree or higher. In comparison about 1 percent of non-Hispanic Whites had less than a fifth grade education, 83 percent had a high school diploma, and 23 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. (table 1)

College Education. In March 1992, about one quarter (25 percent) of Hispanic persons 25 years and over had at least some college education. About 12 percent had "Some college, but no degree", 4 percent had academic or vocational associate of arts degrees, 6 percent had bachelor's degrees, 2 percent had master's degrees, and 1 percent had either professional or doctorate degrees. In comparison, 46 percent of non-Hispanic Whites had some college education beyond high school, with the proportional distribution as follows: 17 percent "Some college, but no degree", 6 percent with academic or vocational associate of arts degrees, 15