Do Muslims Have More Children Than Other Women in Western Europe?
Extremely low birth rates in most of Europe have fueled concerns about population decline, yet one segment of the continent's population—Muslims—continues to grow. The increasing number and visibility of Muslims in Western Europe, juxtaposed with the low fertility among non-Muslims, has led some Europeans to worry that the region will eventually have a Muslim majority, fundamentally changing Western European society. A new study by demographers Charles Westoff and Tomas Frejka challenges this common perception and suggests that the fertility gap between Muslims and non-Muslims is shrinking. (February 2008)

U.S. Population Could Reach 438 Million by 2050, and Immigration Is Key
A new report from the Pew Research Center projects that immigration will propel the U.S. population total to 438 million by 2050, from 303 million today. Along with this growth, the racial and ethnic profile of Americans will continue to shift—with non-Hispanic whites losing their majority status. (February 2008)

Fertility Declining in the Middle East and North Africa
Population growth of the mainly Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa has been slowed by a veritable revolution in marriage and childbearing in recent decades. While a young population structure ensures momentum for future growth, the pace has slackened thanks to fertility declines in some of the region’s largest countries. (April 2008)

African-Born Blacks in the Washington, D.C., Metro Area
Black African immigrants began arriving in the Washington, D.C., area in the late 1950s and early 1960s as diplomats of newly independent African countries and as students, particularly at historically black Howard University. Beginning in the 1980s, these early immigrants were joined by growing numbers of refugees, diversity visa holders, and other immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Now, the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area vies with New York City as the major destination for immigrants from Africa. (January 2008)

U.S. West and South Are Set to Gain Political Clout
In the South, Texas, Florida, and Georgia are poised to gain U.S. House seats after they are redistributed based on the 2010 Census. Texas is on track to add two seats, while Florida and Georgia could add one seat each. In the West, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah could each gain one more seat. After each decennial census, population totals in each state are used to reallocate the 435 House Seats. (December 2007)

Immigration and America's Black Population

 Although far outnumbered by nonblack Hispanic and Asian immigrants, the number of black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean more than tripled between 1980 and 2005. This Population Bulletin looks at black immigrants to the United States—what countries they are coming from, which states and metro areas they are living in, and what factors affected their entry into the United States. (BUL62.4; December 2007)

Effects of Migration on the Elderly Population in the District of Columbia (PDF: 932KB)
By 2030, the population of the Washington, DC metropolitan area will increase by more than 2 million, and the population age 65 and older will double. But little is known about the current and future characteristics of the older population. Using custom data tabulations from the 2000 Census, this study, conducted by Marlene Lee, senior policy analyst at the Population Reference Bureau, examines the impact of migration on characteristics of the population age 50 and older in 2000. The study was funded by the John Edward Fowler Foundation. (November 2007)

PopWire: Younger U.S. Baby Boomers Less Likely to Divorce by 40 Than Older Boomers
Younger U.S. baby boomers were less likely to be divorced by 40 than older ones. The patterns is similar for women, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. (October 2007)

PopWire: Veterans Are More Likely to Be Homeless Than Other Civilians
Although U.S. veterans tend to be better off economically than nonveterans, they are more likely to be homeless than the total civilian population ages 18 and older. In fact, 26 percent of homeless people are veterans, but they make up just 11 percent of the adult population. (November 2007)

Hispanic Segregation in America's New Rural Boomtowns
America's Hispanic population is on the move. One-third of recent Mexican immigrants to the United States from 1995 to 2000 settled outside of traditional gateway states in the Southwest (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California). This is a remarkable break from the past. During 1975-1980, for example, only 9 percent of Mexican immigrants settled outside of traditional gateway states. (September 2007)