Population characteristics describe the diverse social, demographic, and economic features of the Nation’s population. There were more than 154 million females in the United States in 2008, representing slightly more than half of the population.
Examining data by demographic factors such as sex, age, and race and ethnicity can serve a number of purposes for policymakers and program planners. For instance, these comparisons can be used to tailor the development and evaluation of policies and programs to better serve the needs of women at higher risk for certain conditions.
This section presents data on population
characteristics that may affect women’s physical,
social, and mental health. Some of these characteristics
include the age and racial and ethnic
distribution of the population, household composition,
education, income, labor force participation,
and participation in Federal programs.
The characteristics of women veterans and rural and urban women are also described in these pages.