U.S. Census

The U.S. Census Bureau is planning to ask everyone living in the United States whether they are citizens when it conducts its next decennial census in 2020.

The U.S. has more foreign students enrolled in its colleges and universities than any other country in the world. Explore data about foreign students in the U.S. higher education system.

Federal officials are considering major changes in how they ask Americans about their race and ethnicity.

Federal officials are proposing new changes to census questions on racial and Hispanic identity.

In 2020, census questionnaires may for the first time be offered in Arabic, now the fastest-growing language in the U.S. But the Census Bureau faces a challenge not only in translating the language but also in adjusting the appearance of the questionnaire for those accustomed to reading and writing Arabic script.

Anyone who has filed a U.S. tax return, applied for a Social Security number or signed up for Medicare has given personal data to the government. So when the Census Bureau counts the American public, can it use the information that other federal agencies have already collected?

The 2020 census could be the first in which most Americans are counted over the internet.

Instead, the new census questionnaire may tell people to check the “categories” that describe them.

The race, ethnicity and origin categories used in the U.S. decennial census have shifted over time often in a reflection of current politics, science and public attitudes. Our interactive tracks the category names from 1790 to 2010.

Under pressure from academics and advocates, the U.S. Census Bureau has abandoned plans to delete a series of questions about marriage and divorce from its largest household survey.