Leaving your home country isn’t always easy and knowing the country you are moving to is more important than ever!
This article considers any questions and concerns about the American society by providing a clue into the poverty statistics, education, unemployment rates, and rankings in the ‘Happiest countries in the world.’
Let’s get started so you have an idea of what to expect when you get there.
Demographics in the USA
According to the United States census bureau, the United States is ranked the third most populated country globally, with an estimated population of 329,227,746 million as of January 28, 2020.
The American population is said to have increased tremendously during the 20th century at a growing rate of 1.3% per year from about 76 million in the year 1900 to 281 million in the year 2001, followed by a total of about 328 million residents in 2018.
The increase in population in the United States is mostly due to Foreign-born immigration.
It has caused the U.S. population to continue its rapid growth, with the foreign-born population doubling from almost 20 million in 1990 to over 45 million in 2015.
Non-Hispanic Whites make up 60.7% of the country’s population.
The non-Hispanic white population of the U.S. is expected to fall below 50% by 2045, primarily due to immigration and low birth rates.
Between the period of July 2005 to July 2006, Hispanics and Latino Americans accounted for 48% of the national population growth of 2.9 million.
It is expected that immigrants and US-born descendants will account for most of the population increase in years to come.
As of recent, the United States population is projected to grow to about 417million in 2060.
Poverty Statistics
According to the U.S. bureau 2017 estimates, the current poverty rate in America is 12.3%.
Over the years, the United States poverty rate has fluctuated between 11% and 15% mostly because of individuals transition into and out of poverty over time, although many of those who are poor may experience multiple spells of poverty over time.
Poverty is defined as a situation where people lack the economic resources to experience an average living standard.
Research shows that transitions into or out of poverty often happens after significant life events such as marriage, divorce, or sudden changes in income.
These transitions also can be associated with more substantial shifts in unemployment or wages.
However, a study conducted by McKernan and researchers revealed that higher education levels improve the likelihood of leaving poverty (McKernan et al., 2009)
Crime Rates in America
In most cases, crime rates in America vary from state to state.
It’s not uncommon to have rising crime rates in more urban regions than in less urban areas.
However, the safest places within cities have reported violent crime rates that exceed the national average by a wide margin.
It is no coincidence that many of the states with the highest rates of violence are also home to some of America’s most dangerous cities.
In some cases, a single city can account for over one-quarter of all violent crime in an entire state. A relationship seems to exist between crime rates and economic conditions.
Cities that have a lot of residents struggling financially also tend to have higher violent crime rates. For an in-depth overview of the states with the highest rates of violent crimes and murder, check here.
An estimate of over 1,206,836 violent crimes occurred nationwide between 1990 – 2018, with the district of Columbia having the highest violent crime rate at 995.9, according to Statista.
National Unemployment Rates in the USA
As of April 2020, the unemployment rate in America jumped to 14.7 percent, the highest unemployment rate ever reported since the Great Depression.
Before April, as of March 2020, the U.S.’s unemployment rate was only 4.4 percent depicting how the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is tremendously affecting American jobs and, ultimately, the economy.
According to the labor department, 20.5 million people abruptly lost their jobs, wiping out a decade of employment gains in a single month.
It is roughly double what the nation experienced during the entire financial crisis from 2007 to 2009.
Worldwide Ranking in Health and Education
A scientific study in 2018 by the institute of health metrics and evaluation revealed that the United States ranks 27th globally for its investments in education and health care.
This data shows that the United States fell 21 spots over the years from 6th to 27th.
This places the US close to Germany (24), Greece (25), Australia (26), and the Czech Republic (28).
The top spots are dominated by Western European and Nordic countries, with Finland topping the list both in 1990 and 2016.
South Korea and the Republic of China are the only non-European representatives in the top 10 for 2016, edging out Canada, which fell to 11th place.
Ranking in ‘Happiest Countries in the World’
Currently, the United States is the unhappiest it has ever been.
The 2019 World Happiness Report says that Finland remains the happiest country on Earth for the second year in the row, while the U.S. drops to Number 19, it’s worst ranking ever (it was No. 18 in 2018 and No. 14 in 2017).
The happiness score is developed based on six criteria:
- GDP per capita.
- Healthy life expectancy at birth.
- Social support from friends and family.
- Freedom to make life choices.
- Generosity in the form of donations to charity.
- Perceptions of government corruption.
So what do you think about our summary? Do you have a different perception?