Overall what was the demographic impact

The number of refugees resettled in the U. The same year also marked the first time since the adoption of the U. Refugee Act that the U.

Immigrants were viewed positively in 10 of those nations, including the U. There were The decrease is due mainly to fewer Mexicans entering the U. The only birth region with an increase in unauthorized immigrants since was Central America — mainly El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. State populations of unauthorized immigrants vary widely.

In some states, unauthorized immigrants represented one-third or more of all immigrants in ; in others, they accounted for less than one-in-ten. Nationally, unauthorized immigrants are one-quarter of all U.

The Mexican share of unauthorized immigrants also ranges widely, making up more than two-thirds of the total in the four states that border Mexico but far less in East Coast states. Nationally, Mexicans are about half of unauthorized immigrants.

As with the total population, births to unauthorized immigrants have declined since Household income in the U. At the same time, income inequality continues to grow, and the growth has been more pronounced among some racial and ethnic groups than among others. For example, the gap between Asians at the top and bottom of the income ladder nearly doubled between and Over that period, Asians went from being one of the groups with the lowest income inequality to the highest.

A separate analysis found that, among Hispanics, the median income of foreign-born workers — but not U. The share of Americans who are in the middle class has fallen over the last several decades. The share of adults in the middle class has stabilized around half since Meanwhile, median incomes have grown more slowly for middle-class households than for upper- or lower-class households.

More broadly, the public also sees differences by race and ethnicity when it comes to getting ahead in the U. Views on the impact of being Asian are more mixed. This reached million in , an increase of 51 million since Currently, international migrants make up 3. The United States depends on international migration. If we don't have as many working age people due to low fertility, migrants are one way to keep the workforce strong.

COVID has already had an impact on migration. Also, with migrants losing jobs and facing higher risks of being infected due to overcrowded living conditions, many workers are returning to their countries of origin even now. Once they leave, closed borders make it hard to return to the United States. This means we are likely losing the international migrants who are key to certain industries.

Preliminary estimates from the United Nations suggests that the pandemic may have slowed the growth in the stock of international migrants by around two million by mid, 27 percent less than projected. It is difficult to know how this combination of trends will play out for population change and how quickly patterns will bounce back to pre-pandemic levels, if ever.

Lower fertility rates coupled with lower levels of international migration could shift the population toward an older age structure, even with the decline in the older population created by increased mortality. Over the long run, population changes have implications for the available workforce and the larger economy.

Consumption patterns would likely change, with decreased demand for parenting-related expenses and educational investment. Reduced fertility could lead to greater isolation and fewer family members available to care for aging adults. Much attention has been given to increased childcare duties due to COVID, but the pandemic has also had direct impact on how care is being provided at older ages, with many families taking on increased home-care responsibilities to avoid risk of infection from home care workers.

It will be important to track these changes to see if they persist longer-term. If so, this could fundamentally change the setting of care and the role of family in-care provision.

At this one-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic, it is important to think about how profoundly COVID has disrupted the very makeup of our population and the potential implications of these demographic trends for society.

As more time passes and new data become available, we will have a better sense of whether these disruptions will be short-lived or change the demography of the nation and the world for the foreseeable future.

Fertility decline in Vietnam is apparent in the majority of the childbearing age groups of women. This decrease has been most rapid among older women of childbearing age, a pattern often observed during a period of decline in birth rates. Among the youngest women, however, there has been comparatively little change in the childbearing rate.

The reproductive health of women is based on many factors, including the age at which childbearing begins. Most childbearing in the country takes place within formal marriage, and Vietnam women typically do not enter marriage until well after age In fact, only half of women marry before age The age pattern of marriage has been consistent in recent years. Contraceptive use has risen steadily in Vietnam since the late s, as shown clearly by the and Demographic and Health Surveys DHS.

Almost three-quarters of women use some form of family planning and nearly 6 out of 10 use a modern form such as the pill, IUD, sterilization, or condom. This figure was nearly 90 percent during the DHS, so it is clear that the types of methods used have become somewhat more varied.

Condom use has increased from about 1 percent of couples to nearly 6 percent today. Nationally, contraceptive use is highest in the north and tends to decrease as one moves south; traditional methods are somewhat more common in the south, as well. The proportion of modern contraceptive users using the IUD is also lower in the south. The need for regular checkups during pregnancy is well established for the health of both mother and child and to discover any potential problems that might arise during delivery.

Monthly visits are the recommended practice and, while Vietnam does fall far short of that goal, there has been an encouraging upward trend in Ministry of Health data. The number of prenatal visits has doubled since from an average of less than one or two.

Qualified medical care available at delivery is also essential for the health of mother and baby. In Vietnam, just over three-fourths of births occur with the assistance of a trained attendant.

About 6 in 10 births take place in a health facility, but the large proportion that occur at home or elsewhere remains a concern.

In Vietnam, abortion services, including menstrual regulation, are readily available in public and private facilities.

It is evident from survey data that women in Vietnam often resort to abortion because of a lack of contraception and contraceptive failure. It is estimated that the average Vietnam woman has about 1. Abortion rates vary widely by region, with the highest rates generally reported in the northern part of the country in the DHS. The number of abortions reported by the Ministry of Health has declined steadily in the s. In the number of abortions was half of that eight years earlier.

It is well known, however, that these data do not include many abortions performed privately, a type of pregnancy termination often used by younger, single women. The pace of urbanization in Vietnam has accelerated in the past 10 years after showing little growth between and The percentages hide the growth of the urban population, however. From to the urban population rose from While rapid urbanization can create new challenges to cities for housing and transportation, it is often seen as a key indicator of and contributor to economic development.

Still, Vietnam remains relatively rural compared to other Southeast Asian nations. As Vietnam continues to develop, it is to be expected that the population distribution will shift from rural to urban areas as well as to the new economic zones. By region, the pattern of migratory movements has been generally consistent, as reported in both the and censuses.

Only two regions have received a net balance of in-migrants: the southeast and the Central Highlands. Overall, there has been a consistent net flow of migrants from the northern parts of the country to the southern. Looking at migration by province provides a clearer picture of the destination of migrants.

Ho Chi Minh City alone received a net balance of over , migrants between and , while its neighboring provinces, such as Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Dong Nai, also proved attractive to new residents.

In contrast, provinces adjacent to Hanoi, the only Red River province to attract migrants, did not experience a net flow of migrants. Partially as a result of higher life expectancy, the number of people 60 years old and older has risen remarkably. In there were 3. This figure rose to 4. Almost 60 percent of the elderly are female and about four-fifths of elderly people live in rural areas. The Red River Delta has the highest percentage of elderly.

The health status of the elderly has greatly improved in the past few decades, but it remains one of their most significant concerns. In the Survey on the Living Condition of the Elderly, the percentage of older people who reported they were in good health dropped from The percentage of older people who said their health condition was bad rose from Respect for the elderly is a fundamental, traditional value in Vietnam.

Older people have an important role to play and make significant contributions to the development of the community through their experiences and abilities. The government has paid considerable attention to care for the elderly and this is well reflected in many legislative documents.

Since its foundation in May , the Vietnam Association of the Elderly has grown rapidly, with 6 million members, and has expanded its activities in every community. To further promote the roles of and care for the elderly, the Ordinance on the Elderly was approved by the National Assembly on April 28, This is the first time such a comprehensive policy dealing with issues of older people has been promulgated in Vietnam.

Females have drawn nearly even with males in literacy, a sharp divergence from the past, when only two-thirds of women ages 50 and over could read or write. Male sterilization is much lower than female 0. As a result, the National Population Strategy cites gender equality as an important factor in the achievement of replacement-level fertility, a better quality of life, and sustainable development.

Gender inequality still exists in many respects. The percentage of women ages 15 and over who never attended school is nearly triple that of men. It is clear from the graph that, once a woman begins to work in Vietnam, her involvement in economic activity is continuous and not interrupted by raising children.

Girls also appear to enter the labor force somewhat earlier than boys, most likely due to leaving school at earlier ages. Over the long term, the gap in educational qualification between men and women has narrowed dramatically.