Males and the Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations experienced a disproportionately large number of deaths from 2019 to 2020, the year that includes the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deaths for the total U.S. population increased 19% in 2020, but some groups were more affected than others, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 Population Estimates released yesterday — the first to contain final 2020 mortality data by demographic characteristics.
Increases in deaths during 2020 were reflected in previous estimates releases, but the latest data show the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on mortality by race/ethnicity and sex.
Post-Pandemic Challenges and Opportunities for Population Estimates
The Census Bureau’s recently released 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (DHC) provided a more comprehensive picture of the U.S. population on April 1, 2020.
It also helped gauge the impact of the so-called blended base method used to create the estimates base, or starting point, for our annual time series of population estimates.
Yesterday’s release of Vintage 2022 estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin provides the opportunity to make the most detailed comparisons between the April 1, 2020, blended base and the DHC. And there are some notable differences, especially in the results by race categories.
