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Demographic Changes

Demographic changes are shifts in the size, age, makeup, and location of the population. The Census Bureau and other agencies measure them, and they affect schools, workplaces, health care, housing, and government budgets. Because populations change slowly, governments must plan for them years in advance.

14articles
5topics
October 10last updated

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Latest in Demographic Changes

Topics in Demographic Changes

Age and retirement

Aging Population and Implications, Elder Care Needs, Declining Birth Rates, Generational Shifts, and Social Security and Medicare Sustainability cover how people age, how families and births are changing, and how retirement programs are funded.

Diversity and place

Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Urbanization and Geographic Sorting cover who lives in the country and where they choose to live.

All Articles on Demographic Changes

Understanding U.S. Population Diversity Through Census Data

America is changing. The 2020 U.S. Census and recent surveys show the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before. This shift…

25 Min Read

How America’s Population Is Changing

America is changing faster than ever before. The United States, now the world's third most populous country with over 342 million people, is experiencing…

29 Min Read

How Immigration Is Changing America’s Population

America is growing fast. The latest Census Bureau data shows the U.S. population surged past 340.1 million in 2024, growing at nearly 1% annually—the…

23 Min Read

How America Tracks Its Changing Population

Most Americans know about the census that happens every ten years. But the U.S. Census Bureau does far more than count heads once a…

26 Min Read

How the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Impacts Medicare and Medicaid

What the 2025 reconciliation law changes in Medicaid and Medicare, when its rules begin, who may be affected and where enrollees can get help.

17 Min Read

How the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Impacts Social Security

The "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" (OBBBA) represents one of the most significant overhauls of federal fiscal policy in recent history. Passed on narrow,…

27 Min Read

Debate: U.S. Payroll Taxes

Every American worker knows the sting of seeing their paycheck shrunk by taxes. Payroll taxes are different from the income taxes that get all…

121 Min Read

Debate: How to Address America’s Retirement Savings Gap

How much Americans have actually saved, what Social Security can pay once its reserves run down, and how the main proposals to close the gap would work.

122 Min Read

City vs. Country: How Geography Shapes Government Policy

A minimum wage hike that works in Manhattan might kill jobs in rural Montana. A healthcare program designed for dense urban neighborhoods could leave…

33 Min Read

Challenges Facing the Social Security Administration

Looming financial shortfalls, bureaucratic hurdles, and aging technology threaten the SSA's ability to serve the public effectively.

61 Min Read