The Asian Population in the U.S.

[Source: US Census Bureau] This report presents data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the Asian and Pacific Islander population in the United States , based on the Annual Demographic Supplement to the March 2002 Current Population Survey (CPS). The topics covered are geographic distribution; age distribution; marital status; family type and family size; educational attainment; labor force participation, unemployment, and occupation; family income; and poverty status. 2 Data for these characteristics are compared with those of the non-Hispanic White population.

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
One-half of Asians and Pacific Islanders live in the West.4 In March 2002, 12.5 million Asians and Pacific Islanders lived in the United States, representing 4.4 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population. While one-half lived in the West (51 percent), 19 percent lived in the South, 12 percent in the Midwest, and 19 percent in the Northeast (see Figure 1).

In comparison, 194.8 million (69 percent) of the United States population was non-Hispanic White and 19 percent lived in the West, 33 percent in the South, 27 percent in the Midwest, and 21 percent in the Northeast. Nearly all Asians and Pacific Islanders live in metropolitan areas.

Ninety-five percent of all Asians and Pacific Islanders lived in metropolitan areas, a much greater proportion than of non-Hispanic Whites (78 percent). Of the two populations, Asians and Pacific Islanders were twice as likely to live in central cities located in metropolitan areas (41 percent compared with 21 percent). However, among those living in metropolitan areas but not in central cities, Asians and Pacific Islanders were only 3 percentage points below non-Hispanic Whites (54 percent and 57 percent, respectively).

 AGE DISTRIBUTION
The Asian and Pacific Islander population is young. In 2002, Asians and Pacific Islanders were younger than non-Hispanic Whites. Twenty-six percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders were under 18, compared with 23 percent of non-Hispanic Whites; while 7 percent of Asians and Pacific Islanders were 65 and over, compared with 14 percent of non-Hispanic Whites.

MARITAL STATUS
The proportion of Asians and Pacific Islanders who are divorced is one-half that for non-Hispanic Whites. Of the 9.8 million Asians and Pacific Islanders and 158.3 million non- Hispanic Whites 15 and older in 2002, 57 percent of each population was married,8 but the percentage of divorced Asians and Pacific Islanders was one-half that of non-Hispanic Whites (5 percent compared with 10 percent, respectively). Asians and Pacific Islanders were less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be widowed (4 percent compared with 7 percent), but were more likely to have never married (33 percent compared to 25 percent, respectively).9 Marital status varied by sex for both the Asian and Pacific Islander and non-Hispanic White populations (see Table 1). Asian and Pacific Islander women were more likely than their male counterparts to be married, widowed, separated, or divorced. However, in the non-Hispanic White population, men were more likely to be married, but women were more likely to be divorced, separated, or widowed.

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