Population Bulletin

The quarterly Population Bulletins — on subjects ranging from immigration to world health to gender — are known for their balanced, objective, and up-to-date treatment of domestic and international population research. Each Bulletin, typically 44-pages long, is devoted to one topic and includes graphs and tables, references, and suggested resources.

For more recent Bulletins, you may read full text. For many other Bulletins, we have provided an excerpt or a description of the publication.

PRB has been publishing the Population Bulletin since September 1945. Our first Bulletin, all of eight pages, discussed the labor market in the postwar world. We now are in our 57th year of publishing these Bulletins; although their size has grown to around 44 pages each, their focus has remained the same as it was in the first issue: To keep the subjects up-to-date and to discuss population trends and their implications.

Population Bulletins are $7 each. Discounts are available for bulk orders.

Volume 57, No. 1 (March 2002)
International Migration: Facing the Challenge
By Philip Martin and Jonas Widgren
A new PRB report highlights the challenges brought by the movement of millions of people across national borders. Such migration has often been controversial, more so now in light of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. (March 2002)
(PDF: 379KB)

Volume 56, No. 4 (December 2001)
Elderly Americans
By Christine L. Himes
This Population Bulletin explores the characteristics of the current older population in the United States and speculates how older Americans may differ in the future. It also looks at the impact of aging on the U.S. society and economy. (December 2001)
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Volume 56, No. 3 (September 2001)
World Population Futures
By Brian O'Neill and Deborah Balk
This Population Bulletin explains projection methodology and discusses various approaches for expressing uncertainty. The report concludes with a discussion of what global population projections imply about the kind of world our descendents will inhabit. (September 2001)
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Volume 56, No. 2 (June 2001)
First Glimpses From the 2000 U.S. Census
By Mary M. Kent, Kelvin M. Pollard, John Haaga, and Mark Mather
The latest census was full of surprises: The census counted nearly 7 million more people than the U.S. Census Bureau had estimated, and it still may have missed as many as 3 million. And for those minding the budget: The 2000 Census cost less than anticipated. This Population Bulletin looks at some of the major findings of the 2000 Census as of April 2001, and considers the importance of these trends not only to demographers, journalists, business people, and politicians, but to all Americans. (June 2001)
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Volume 56, No. 1 (March 2001)
New Population Policies: Advancing Women's Health and Rights
By Lori S. Ashford
This Population Bulletin reviews the evolution of national population policies, particularly following the historic 1994 Cairo conference. It describes the new focus on improving reproductive health and women's rights and how governments have tried to incorporate this new approach in their policies and programs. The Bulletin also looks at possible new directions for population policies. (March 2001)
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Volume 55, No. 4 (December 2000)
American Families
By Suzanne M. Bianchi and Lynne M. Casper
This Population Bulletin analyzes the American family in the latter half of the 20th century to better understand what changes in the family portend for the first half of the 21st century.
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Volume 55, No. 3 (September 2000)
An Urbanizing World
By Martin P. Brockerhoff
This Population Bulletin examines sources, trends, and challenges of urban population change in less developed and more developed regions. Among more developed countries, particular attention is given to the United States.
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Volume 55, No. 2 (June 2000)
America's Diversity and Growth: Signposts for the 21st Century
By Martha Farnsworth Riche
This Population Bulletin, published in June 2000, discusses many of the "signposts of the U.S. population, including robust population growth, increasing life expectancy, continued immigration, changes in the family, increased education levels, and population growth outside urban areas."
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Volume 55, No. 1 (March 2000)
Attaining Global Health: Challenges and Opportunities
By Scott C. Ratzan, Gary L. Filerman, and John W. LeSar
This Population Bulletin, published in March 2000, looks at trends in health over the past century, and identifies the ways that we can pursue the goal of better global health. The authors explore the multiple factors that determine health and stress the need for action from the individual to the international level to improve health.
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Volume 54, No. 4 (December 1999)
Population and Health: An Introduction to Epidemiology
by Ian R.H. Rockett
This Population Bulletin, published in December 1999, explains the terms, methods, and materials scientists use to study the health of populations, as well as the historical underpinnings of the modern-day science of epidemiology. Epidemiology provides a unique way of viewing and investigating disease and injury.
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Volume 54, No. 3 (September 1999)
America's Racial and Ethnic Minorities
By Kelvin M. Pollard and William P. O'Hare
This Population Bulletin offers readers a chance to see how America's racial and ethnic groups compare with one another across a host of demographic dimensions. As Americans reassess their view of the nation and its future, they will no doubt express contradictory views and arrive at different positions on public policy issues. Resolving those differences will be easier if Americans understand the current demographic reality of U.S. minority populations.
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Volume 54, No. 2 (June 1999)
Immigration to the United States
By Philip Martin and Elizabeth Midgley
This Population Bulletin examines current immigration patterns and policies in the United States, reviews the peaks and troughs of immigration flows, and provides a historical perspective on contemporary trends.
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Volume 54, No. 1 (March 1999)
World Population Beyond Six Billion
By Alene Gelbard, Carl Haub, and Mary M. Kent
This Population Bulletin chronicles the demographic history of the world and the changes in population in less developed and more developed countries. The Bulletin provides a rich store of data about population before 1900, from 1900 to 1950, and from 1950 to 2000. It describes a new world vision of what to do about population issues and draws attention to particular population groups, such as the elderly, women, children and adolescents, migrants, and people at high risk of HIV/AIDS.
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Volume 53, No. 4 (December 1998)
Injury and Violence: A Public Health Perspective
by Ian R. H. Rockett
This Population Bulletin examines the overlapping phenomena of injury and violence from a public health perspective. Epidemiology-the study of patterns of disease and injury-forms the core of this perspective, but many other disciplines also contribute. Engineering, biomechanics, ergonomics, demography, the biomedical sciences, and the social and behavioral sciences are all involved in the study of injuries and injury prevention.
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Volume 53, No. 3 (September 1998)
Population: A Lively Introduction
by Joseph A. McFalls, Jr., updated 3rd ed.
Just updated with latest data, this Population Bulletin discusses the basic forces of demographic change � fertility, mortality, and migration � and common assessment measures. It also introduces major population-related issues such as environmental degradation and poverty in the developing world. The 1998 edition has new data on race and ethnicity, interracial marriage, and aging and mortality.
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Volume 53, No. 2 (June 1998)
Asian Americans: Diverse and Growing
by Sharon M. Lee
Immigration has increased the number and ethnic diversity of Asian Americans. Americans with ethnic origins in India, Vietnam, and Korea now outnumber Japanese Americans, for instance. This Population Bulletin illuminates the ethnic, social, and demographic forces behind this dramatic growth and diversity and explores the changing meaning of the phrase "Asian American."
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Volume 53, No. 1 (March 1998)
Population Change, Resources, and the Environment
by Robert Livernash and Eric Rodenburg
Unprecedented population growth has put increasing pressure on the natural environment and threatens the health of the Earth's basic ecosystem. This Population Bulletin examines the likely global impacts of population growth and distribution on food supply, energy consumption, emission of greenhouse gases, forests, oceans, and other environmental factors.
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Volume 52, No. 4 (September 1997)
Population and Reproductive Health in Sub-Saharan Africa
by Thomas J. Goliber
(Available in English and French)
The race between population growth and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa is one of the great dramas of the modern world. High rates of population growth and slow-growing or stagnating economies throughout much of the region have hindered modernization. Fertility has declined already in a handful of African countries, but the HIV/AIDS epidemic is reversing hard-won gains in life expectancy. This Population Bulletin surveys the demographic situation in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Volume 52, No. 3 (June 1997)
Generations of Diversity: Latinos in The United States
by Jorge del Pinal and Audrey Singer
Early in the 21st century, Hispanic Americans will become the largest ethnic minority in the United States. By 2050, the Hispanic, or Latino, population is projected to number around 100 million and constitute 25 percent of the U.S. population, up from 11 percent in 1996. This Population Bulletin looks at three aspects of the U.S. Hispanic population: their growing numbers, their increasing diversity, and their relative well-being.
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Volume 52, No. 2 (March 1997)
Infectious Diseases � New and Ancient Threats to World Health
by S. Jay Olshansky, Bruce Carnes, Richard G. Rogers and Len Smith
Infectious and parasitic diseases (IPDs) are a leading cause of death and disability in low-income countries, and are re-emerging as a serious health problem in developed countries. This Population Bulletin examines the phenomenon of "new" and re-emerging IPDs from an international perspective and explores strategies for slowing the rise of IPDs.
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Volume 52, No. 1 (January 1997)
Gender, Power, and Population Change
by Nancy Riley
Gender reflects social as well as biological differences between men and women, and indicates the relative power women have in a society. This Population Bulletin examines the differences in education, employment, and other aspects of life for men and women around the world. The report also discusses what these factors tell us about gender and women's status and their effects on population change.
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Volume 51, No. 4 (February 1997)
Population, Food, and Nutrition
by William Bender and Margaret Smith
The world produces enough food for the current population, but will we be able to produce enough to feed future generations? This bulletin explores the factors that determine both the demand for and supply of food worldwide. The authors also investigate ways to increase yields and discuss constraints on production.
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Volume 51, No. 3 (December 1996)
Women, Work, and Family in America
by Suzanne M. Bianchi and Daphne Spain
The lives of American women have been transformed by new patterns of marriage and childbearing, educational attainment, and labor force participation. These changes will shape the American family and society of the 21st century. This bulletin explores both the encouraging signs and sobering realities of American women.
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Volume 51, No. 2 (September 1996)
A New Look at Poverty in America
by William P. O'Hare
This report explodes many common myths about America's nearly 40 million poor: who they are, how they differ from other Americans, how long they stay poor, and how dependent they are on welfare. The author also examines how factors such as education, immigration status, and neighborhood affect the likelihood of falling into poverty.
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Volume 51, No. 1 (April 1996)
International Migration: A Global Challenge
by Philip Martin and Jonas Widgren
International migration is at an all-time high, and many demographic and economic factors indicate there will be more immigration in coming decades. This report examines the forces behind international immigration and why this issue has jumped to the forefront of policy agendas in many countries.
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Volume 50, No. 4 (March 1996)
United States at Mid-Decade
by Carol J. De Vita
Today's demographic changes are setting the stage for the next century. This Bulletin profiles the United States during the first half of the 1990s, focusing on regional patterns of population growth and change, and their effects on residence and labor force; population aging; racial and ethnic diversity; immigration; changing family patterns; and income distribution.
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Volume 50, No. 1 (March 1995)
New Perspectives on Population: Lessons from Cairo
by Lori S. Ashford
(Available in English, French, Spanish)
At the International Conference on Population and Development in September 1994, 180 countries reached a new consensus on population issues, including a move toward considering population trends as they relate to women's reproductive health, environmental conditions, and development. This report reviews the evolution of international policy toward the new consensus in the context of global demographic trends.
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