Read USAFacts’ report for Congress

For years, USAFacts has worked with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle on the issue of government data for sound policymaking. But that data can be challenging to find or use.

To help with that, USAFacts has crafted America in Facts: A Data-Driven Report for Congress. Our team interviewed 48 bipartisan congressional staff to dig deep into what Congress needs to know when crafting laws for the American people.

But why should Congress have it all to themselves? Get a look at it for yourself right here.

Here’s what Congress wanted to know about Americans in 2023.

Government Finances

• From 1980 to 2022, the US population grew by ​​nearly one and a half times. Federal government spending tripled, however, from $2.1 trillion to $6.4 trillion. Social Security has been the biggest budget item for years ($2.0 trillion in 2022), while national defense and veterans spending moved up from third to second ($1.0 trillion) after assistance to individuals has lessened since the pandemic.
• In 2021, federal, state, and local governments employed a combined 20.7 million people. Around 79% of these employees worked for state or local governments, predominantly in elementary and secondary education. More than half of federal employees worked in national defense and international affairs.

 

Population 

• The nation’s birth rate rose slightly to 1,104 births per 100,000 people in 2021, the first increase since 2014.
• The Hispanic population grew by 28 million people between 2000 and 2022.
• Seventeen percent of the US population was 65 or older in 2022 — up from 11% in 1980.

Standard of living 

• The average middle-class family earned about $59,600 in income in 2021. That’s down 5% from 2000 after adjusting for inflation. Average income fell the most for the bottom 20% of income earners, dropping 53% to $2,461. Meanwhile, income for the top 1% increased 43% to nearly $3.4 million.

 

Health 

• The share of American adults with obesity has more than doubled since 1995, hitting 33.9% in 2021. Smoking has dropped to 14.4% of adults (down from about 22%).
•  Approximately 23% of adults ​were diagnosed with​ a mental illness in 2021.

 

Natural disasters  

• The federal government declared 4,473 natural disasters between 1953 and 2022, often for fires and severe storms. More than one-third of the 90 disasters declared last year were fires.
• Since 1980, billion-dollar natural disasters have resulted in nearly 16,000 deaths and cost $2.5 trillion (after adjusting for inflation).

 

That’s just the beginning. America in Facts offers a wealth of numbers and information for a well-rounded look at the nation today. See the rest here.