It’s Statistics Day

The United Nations General Assembly designated Oct. 20, 2010, as the first-ever World Statistics Day to highlight the role of official statistics and the many achievements of national statistical systems.

We at The City Wire are NOT MAKING THIS UP (with apologies to Dave Barry).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau: “Statistical organizations throughout the world will celebrate World Statistics Day at the national and regional level. The census, the U.S. Census Bureau and 13 other principal federal statistical agencies together have been collecting statistics about the nation’s people, economy and society since 1790.”

Following are a few stats to help spark the celebration of World Statistics Day.

• 74.5 million: The number of children under 18 in the U.S. in 2009.

• 84%: Percent of children who ate dinner with a parent five or more times per week in 2006.

• 70%: The percent of children under 18 who lived with both parents in 2009.

• 5.3 million: Estimated number of "stay-at-home" parents in 2009 in the United States: 5.1 million mothers and 158,000 fathers.

• 310 million: Estimated current U.S. population. We reached 300 million in 2006, 200 million in 1967 and 100 million in 1915. When our nation achieved independence in 1776, we had a population of only 2.5 million.

• 155.6 million: The number of women in the U.S. in 2009. Overall, the U.S. had more women than men (151.4 million). In a few states, however, men outnumbered women, such as Alaska where there were 362,000 men and 336,000 women.

• 70,490: The estimated number of centenarians (100 years old or more) in the U.S. in 2009. Projections indicate that in 2050, the number will be more than 600,000.

• 230: The U.S. Census Bureau website includes links to more than 200 international statistical agencies.

• 14: Number of U.S. principal statistical agencies. They are the Bureau of Economic Analysis; Bureau of Justice Statistics; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Bureau of Transportation Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau; Economic Research Service; Energy Information Administration; National Agricultural Statistics Service; National Center for Education Statistics; National Center for Health Statistics; Office of Environmental Information; Social Security Administration Office of Research Evaluation and Statistics; National Science Foundation: Science Resources Statistics; and the Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income Division.

• 29,208: Number of statisticians employed in the United States in 2009.

• 20%: Percent of statisticians employed by the federal government, with most of them concentrated in the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services in 2008. Another 10 percent worked for state and local governments.

• 13%: Projected growth of employment of statisticians from 2008 to 2018.

• $72,820: Median annual wage for statisticians in May 2009.