Form of government: federal republic with two legislative houses (Senate [100]; House of Representatives [435{1}]).
Head of state and government: President.
Capital: Washington, D.C.
Official language: none.
Official religion: none.
Monetary unit: 1 dollar (U.S.$)=100 cents; valuation
(Oct. 6, 1995) 1 U.S.$=
0.63;
1 =U.S.$1.58.
Population (1995){2}: 263,057,000.
Density (1995){2}: persons per sq mi 71.5, persons per sq km 27.6.
Urban-rural (1993): urban 75.8%; rural 24.2%.
Sex distribution (1994): male 48.81%; female 51.19%.
Age breakdown (1994): under 15, 22.0%; 15-29, 21.2%; 30-44, 24.5%; 45-59, 15.7%; 60-74, 11.1%; 75 and over, 5.5%.
Population projection: (2000) 276,052,000; (2010) 300,226,000.
Doubling time: not applicable; doubling time exceeds 100 years.
Population by race and Hispanic{3} origin (1994): non-Hispanic white 74.0%; non-Hispanic black 12.0%; Hispanic 10.0%; Asian and Pacific Islander 3.3%; American Indian and Eskimo 0.7%.
Religious affiliation (1995): Christian 85.3%, of which Protestant 57.9%, Roman Catholic 21.0%, other Christian 6.4%; Jewish 2.1%; Muslim 1.9%; nonreligious 8.7%; other 2.0%.
Mobility (1993). Population living in the same residence as in 1992: 83.0%; different residence, same county 11.0%; different county, same state 3.0%; different state 3.0%; moved from abroad 1.0%.
Households (1994). Total households 97,107,000 (married-couple families 53,171,000 [54.8%]). Average household size 2.7; 1 person 24.3%, 2 persons 32.2%, 3 persons 17.4%, 4 persons 15.5%, 5 or more persons 10.6%. Family households: 68,490,000 (70.5%); nonfamily 28,617,000 (29.5%), of which 1-person 82.5%.
Immigration (1993{4}): permanent immigrants admitted 904,000, from Mexico 14.0%, China 7.2%, Vietnam 7.0%, Philippines 7.0%, former U.S.S.R. 6.5%, Dominican Republic 5.0%, India 4.4%, El Salvador 3.0%, Poland 3.0%, United Kingdom 2.1%, Ukraine 2.0%, South Korea 2.0%, Jamaica 1.9%, Canada 1.9%, Iran 1.6%, Taiwan 1.6%, Ireland 1.5%. Refugee arrivals (1993{4}): 127,343.
Major cities (1994): New York 7,333,253; Los Angeles 3,448,613; Chicago 2,731,743; Houston 1,702,086; Philadelphia 1,524,249; San Diego 1,151,977; Phoenix 1,048,949; Dallas 1,022,830; San Antonio 998,905; Detroit 992,038.
Place of birth (1990): native-born 227,078,000 (91.3%); foreign-born 21,632,000 (8.7%), of which Mexico 4,447,000, Germany (East and West) 1,163,000, Philippines 998,000, Canada 871,000, United Kingdom 765,000, Cuba 751,000, South Korea 663,000, Italy 640,000, Vietnam 556,000, China 543,000, India 463,000, Japan 422,000, Poland 397,000, U.S.S.R. 337,000, Portugal 219,000, Greece 189,000, other 8,208,000.
Birth rate per 1,000 population (1994): 14.1 (world avg. 25.0); (1992) legitimate 69.8%; illegitimate 30.2%.
Death rate per 1,000 population (1994): 8.5 (world avg. 9.3).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1994): 5.6 (world avg. 15.7).
Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1994): 2.1.
Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1994): 7.8; median age at first marriage (1991): men 26.3 years, women 24.1 years.
Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1994): 4.7.
Life expectancy at birth (1993): white male 73.0 years, black and other male 67.4 years; white female 79.5 years, black and other female 75.5 years.
Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1993): cardiovascular diseases 366.3, of which ischemic heart disease 190.0, cerebrovascular diseases 57.4, atherosclerosis 5.3; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 205.8; diseases of the respiratory system 70.9, of which pneumonia 31.3; accidents and adverse effects 34.4, of which motor-vehicle accidents 15.9; diabetes mellitus 21.4; AIDS 13.7; suicide 12.1; chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 9.6.
Morbidity rates of infectious diseases per 100,000 population (1993): gonorrhea 170.1; chicken pox 52.2; AIDS 40.2; syphilis 39.1; salmonellosis 16.1; shigellosis 12.5; tuberculosis 9.8; hepatitis A (infectious) 9.4; hepatitis B (serum) 5.2; aseptic meningitis 5.0; mumps 0.7.
Incidence of chronic health conditions per 1,000 population (1993): chronic sinusitus 144.5; arthritis 126.5; deformities or orthopedic impairments 120.8; hypertension 106.7; hearing impairment 93.5; hay fever 92.0; heart conditions 82.3; chronic bronchitis 53.5; asthma 50.6; migraine 42.7.
Educational attainment (1991). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: incomplete primary education 6.2%; primary 4.4%; incomplete secondary 11.0%; secondary 38.6%; some postsecondary 18.4%; 4-year higher degree or more 21.4%. Number of earned degrees (1993): bachelor's degree 1,145,000; master's degree 364,000; doctor's degree 42,000; first-professional degrees (in fields such as medicine, theology, and law) 74,000.
Quality of working life (1994). Average workweek: 39.1 hours. Annual rate per 100,000 workers for (1993): injury or accident 2,700; death 6.4. Proportion of labour force insured for damages or income loss resulting from: injury, permanent disability, and death (1988) 56.6%. Average days per 1,000 workdays lost to labour stoppages (1994): 0.2. Average duration of journey to work (1990): 22.4 minutes (private automobile 94.7%, of which drive alone 80.0%, carpool 14.7%; public transportation 5.3%). Rate per 1,000 employed workers of discouraged workers (unemployed no longer seeking work; 1992): 6.9.
Access to services (1991). Proportion of occupied dwellings having access to: electricity, virtually 100.0%; safe public water supply 98.2% (12.6% from wells); public sewage collection 76.9%; septic tanks 23.0%.
Social participation. Eligible voters participating in last presidential election (1992): 54.0%. Population age 18 and over participating in voluntary work (1993): 47.7%. Trade-union membership in total workforce (1994): 15.5%. Practicing religious population in total affiliated population (church attendance; 1987): once a week 47%; once in six months 67%; once a year 74%.
Social deviance (1993). Offense rate per 100,000 population for: murder 9.5; rape 40.7; robbery 255.7; aggravated assault 439.7; motor-vehicle theft 604.8; burglary and housebreaking 1,098.3; larceny-theft 3,030.0; drug-abuse violation 309.2 {5}; drunkenness 260.1{5}. Drug and substance users (population age 26 and over; 1993): alcohol 52.1%; tobacco (cigarettes) 25.3%; marijuana 3.0%; cocaine 0.5%; analgesics 0.5%; tranquilizers 0.2%; stimulants 0.2%; hallucinogens 0.1%{5}; heroin, n.a. Rate per 100,000 population of suicide (1993): 12.2.
Leisure (1992). Favourite leisure activities (percentage of total population age 18 and over that undertook activity at least once in the previous year): movie 59.0%, amusement park 50.0%, sports event 37.0%, live theatre 31.0%, art museum 27.0%; exercising 60.0%, reading literature 54.0%, playing sports 39.0%.
Material well-being (1992). Occupied dwellings with householder possessing: automobile 84.9%{6}; telephone 93.9%; radio receiver 99.0%; television receiver 98.3%; air conditioner 69.9%{7}; washing machine 76.3%{7}; videocassette recorder 72.5%; cable television 60.2%.
Recreational expenditures (1993): U.S.$339,900,000,000 (television and radio receivers 19.3%; nondurable toys and sports equipment 11.0%; sports supplies 10.2%; magazines and newspapers 7.9%; golfing, bowling, and other participatory activities 7.2%; books and maps 4.9%; spectator amusements 3.7%, of which spectator sports 1.2%, theatre and opera 1.2%, movies 1.2%; flowers, seeds, and potted plants 3.1%).
Budget (1995). Revenue: U.S.$1,346,400,000,000 (individual income tax 43.7%, social-insurance taxes and contributions 35.9%, corporation income tax 11.2%, other 9.2%). Expenditures: U.S.$1,538,900,000,000 (social security and medicare 32.0%, defense 17.6%, interest on debt 15.2%, income security 14.5%, health 7.5%, other 13.2%).
Total national debt (Oct. 17, 1994): U.S.$4,613,524,000,000.
Gross national product (at current market prices; 1994): U.S.$6,738,400,000,000 (U.S.$25,850 per capita).
Business activity (1991): number of businesses 20,499,000 (sole proprietorships 74.1%, active corporations 18.5%, active partnerships 7.4%), of which services 8,964,000, wholesaling and retailing 3,893,000; business receipts $12,214,000,000,000 (active corporations 89.8%, sole proprietorships 5.8%, active partnerships 4.4%), of which wholesaling and retailing $3,637,000,000,000, services $1,180,000,000,000; net profit $508,000,000,000 (active corporations 67.9%, sole proprietorships 28.0%, partnerships 4.1%), of which services $125,000,000,000, wholesaling and retailing $46,000,000,000. New business concerns and business failures (1994): total number of new incorporations 705,537{8}; total failures 71,520, of which commercial service 20,595, retail trade 12,575; failure rate per 10,000 concerns 74.0; current liabilities of failed concerns $29,357,000,000; average liability $410,500. Business expenditures for new plant and equipment (1994): total $638,400,000,000, of which trade, services, and communications $336,900,000,000, manufacturing businesses $192,600,000,000 (nondurable goods 51.8%, durable goods 48.2%), public utilities $76,500,000,000, transportation $21,200,000,000, mining $11,200,000,000.
Production. Agriculture, forestry, fishing (value of production/catch in U.S.$'000,000 except as noted; 1993): corn (maize) 16,032, soybeans 11,950, hay 10,957, wheat 7,645, cotton lint 4,521, tobacco 2,831, potatoes 2,641, grapes 2,007, oranges 1,582, lettuce 1,464, apples 1,361, rice 1,246, sorghum 1,234, tomatoes 1,127, peanuts (groundnuts) 1,031, almonds 911, sugar beets 886, sugarcane 886, onions 813, barley 812, cottonseed 714, dry beans 539, bell peppers 437, peaches 395, walnuts 364, sunflower seeds 326, cantaloupe 297, carrots 295, oats 291, cabbage 284, broccoli 277, watermelon 262, celery 260, lemons 238, pears 232, pecans 213, avocados 211, cranberries 198; livestock (number of live animals; 1994) 100,988,000 cattle, 57,904,000 pigs, 9,600,000 sheep, 3,860,000 horses, 1,530,000,000 chickens; roundwood 495,800,000 cu m; fish and shellfish catch 3,471, of which fish 1,884 (including salmon 423, Alaska pollack 358), shellfish 1,587 (including crabs 510, shrimp 413). Mining (metal content in metric tons except as noted; 1994): iron 36,670,000; copper 1,790,000; zinc 556,000; lead 363,000; molybdenum 40,000; vanadium 2,700; mercury 400; silver 3,400,000 kg; gold 500,000 kg; helium 96,000,000 cu m. Quarrying (metric tons; 1993): crushed stone 1,195,000,000; sand and gravel 949,000,000; cement 83,600,000; clay 42,300,000; phosphate rock 41,000,000; common salt 38,000,000; lime 17,400,000; gypsum 17,400,000. Manufacturing (metric tons except as noted; 1993): crude steel 87,343,000; paper and paperboard 76,688,000; wood pulp 57,189,000; pig iron 48,275,000; sulfuric acid 40,153,000; coke 21,237,000{9}; phosphoric acid 10,474,000; cheese 5,877,000; newsprint 5,833,000; aerospace vehicles (sales) U.S.$121,852,000,000{9}; machine tools (new orders for metal-cutting-type tools) U.S.$2,322,400,000; cotton fabric 4,402,000,000 sq m; carpets and rugs 1,134,300,000 sq m{9}; footwear 167,803,000 pairs{9}; motor-vehicle tires 237,448,000 units; major household appliances 51,277,000 units, of which 8,109,000 refrigerators, 7,703,000 microwave ovens, 6,793,000 washing machines, 5,074,000 clothes driers; television receivers 21,304,000 units{9}; radio receivers 18,405,000 units; new passenger cars (factory sales) 5,955,000 units; new trucks and buses (factory sales) 4,786,000 units. Construction (completed; 1994): private U.S.$377,784,000,000, of which residential U.S.$237,944,000,000, nonresidential U.S.$97,795,000,000; public U.S.$129,180,000,000.
Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1993) 3,145,892,000,000 (3,174,638,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1993) 857,675,000 (799,412,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1993) 2,532,000,000 (4,974,000,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1993) 710,675,000 (737,826,000); natural gas (cu m; 1993) 520,851,000,000 (582,138,000,000). Domestic production of energy by source (1993): natural gas 32.5%, coal 31.1%, crude petroleum 22.0%, other{10} 14.4%.
Energy consumption by source (1993): petroleum and petroleum products 40.2%, natural gas 24.8%, coal 23.4%, other{10} 11.6%; by end use: industrial 36.7%, residential and commercial 36.1%, transportation 27.2%.
Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1993) 2.6; average (mean) annual income per household U.S.$41,428, of which average white household U.S.$43,285, average Hispanic {3} household U.S.$30,291, average black household U.S.$27,229; sources of income: wages and salaries 57.3%, transfer payments 17.0%, self-employment 7.4%, other 18.3%; expenditure: transportation 17.8%, housing 17.6%, food 14.3%, fuel and utilities 6.9%, wearing apparel 5.5%, recreation 5.8%, health 5.8%, expenditures in restaurants and hotels 5.4%, household furnishings 4.0%, education 1.5%, other 15.4%.
Selected household characteristics (1994). Total number of households 97,107,000, of which (by race) white 84.8%, black 11.6%, other 3.6%; in central cities 31.4%, in suburbs 46.3%, outside metropolitan areas 22.3%; (by tenure) owned 62,374,000 (64.2%), rented 34,732,000 (35.8%); family households 68,490,000, of which married couple 77.6%, female head with own children {11} under age 18, 11.2%, female head without own children {11} under 18, 6.9%; nonfamily households 28,617,000, of which female living alone 49.5%, male living alone 33.0%, other 17.5%.
Population economically active (1994): total 131,056,000 {12}; activity rate of total population 50.3% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 76.5%; female 46.0%; unemployed 6.1%).
Tourism (1994): receipts from visitors U.S.$77,653,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$55,618,000,000; number of foreign visitors 45,504,000 (14,970,000 from Canada, 11,325,000 from Mexico, 8,509,000 from Europe); number of nationals traveling abroad 46,426,000 (15,759,000 to Mexico, 12,543,000 to Canada).
Land use (1993): forested 29.9%; meadows and pastures 25.0%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 19.6%; other 25.5%.
Imports (1994): U.S.$683,830,000,000 (machinery and transport equipment 46.4%, of which motor vehicles and parts 15.6%; office and data-processing machines 7.8%; petroleum and petroleum products 7.4%; wearing apparel 7.3%; chemicals and related products 3.4%; food and live animals 3.1%). Major import sources: Canada 19.4%; Japan 17.9%; Mexico 7.5%; China 5.8%; Germany 4.8%; Taiwan 4.0%; United Kingdom 3.8%; South Korea 3.0%; France 2.5%; Singapore 2.3%; Italy 2.2%; Malaysia 2.1%; Thailand 1.6%; Hong Kong 1.5%; Brazil 1.3%.
Exports (1994): U.S.$512,416,000,000 (machinery and transport 49.2%, of which motor vehicles and parts 15.3%; electrical machinery 10.3%; chemicals and related products 10.2%; food and live animals 6.4%; scientific and precision equipment 4.3%). Major export destinations: Canada 22.3%; Japan 10.4%; Mexico 9.9%; United Kingdom 5.2%; Germany 3.8%; South Korea 3.5%; Taiwan 3.3%; France 2.6%; The Netherlands 2.6%; Singapore 2.5%; Hong Kong 2.2%; Belgium 2.1%.
Transport. Railroads (1993): length 136,000 mi{9}, 219,000 km{9}; passenger-mi 14,000,000,000, passenger-km 22,500,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 1,183,000,000,000, metric ton-km cargo 1,727,000,000,000. Roads (1993): total length 3,904,721 mi, 6,284,051 km (paved 88.7%). Vehicles (1993): passenger cars 146,314,000; trucks and buses 59,227,000. Merchant marine (1993): vessels (1,000 gross tons and over) 603; total deadweight tonnage 20,419,000. Air transport (1993): passenger-mi 480,463,000,000, passenger-km 773,232,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 13,320,000,000, metric ton-km cargo 19,447,000,000; localities (1995) with scheduled flights 834{13}. Certified route passenger/cargo air carriers (1992) 77; operating revenue (U.S.$'000,000; 1991) 74,942, of which domestic 56,119, international 18,823; operating expenses 76,669, of which domestic 56,596, international 20,073.
Communications. Daily newspapers (1995): total number 1,710; total circulation 62,600,000; circulation per 1,000 population 238. Radio (1993{14}): total number of receivers 538,000,000 (1 per 0.5 persons). Television (1994{14}): total number of receivers 211,000,000 (1 per 1.2 persons). Telephones (access lines; 1993): 147,000,000 (1 per 1.8 persons).
Literacy: studies in the late 1980s indicated that adult "functional" literacy may not exceed 85%.
Health (1993): doctors of medicine 670,300{15} (1 per 391 persons), of which office-based practice 398,800 (including specialties in internal medicine 16.9%, general and family practice 14.6%, pediatrics 7.7%, obstetrics and gynecology 6.9%, general surgery 6.1%, psychiatry 5.6%, anesthesiology 5.2%, orthopedics 4.1%, ophthalmology 4.0%); doctors of osteopathy 33,400; nurses 1,853,024 (1 per 138 persons){9}; dentists 154,000 (1 per 1,676 persons); hospital beds 1,158,000 (1 per 223 persons), of which nonfederal 92.4% (community hospitals 79.1%, psychiatric 11.3%, long-term general and special 1.8%), federal 7.4%; infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1994) 8.3.
Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 3,732 (vegetable products 67%, animal products 33%); 141% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Per capita consumption of major food groups (pounds annually; 1993): milk 226.6; cereal products 189.2; sweeteners 147.1; potatoes 135.7; fresh vegetables 113.0; red meat 111.9; fresh fruits 99.9; fats and oils 65.0; poultry products 61.1; fish and shellfish 14.9.
Total active duty personnel (1995): 1,547,300 (army 33.9%, navy 28.6%, air force 26.4%, marines 11.1%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1993): 4.7% (world 3.3%); per capita expenditure U.S.$1,153. Military aid (1993): total $4,143,000,000 (Middle East 76.2%, of which Israel 43.4%, Egypt 31.4%; Europe 20.8%, of which Turkey 10.9%; Latin America 1.8%).