Following up on a newsletter from two weeks ago, the US Census Bureau reported that the US population increased by just 392,665 people (about the population of Cleveland, OH), or 0.1%, from July 2020 to July 2021, bringing the total population to 331.8M people. This the first time that the population grew by less than 1 million people since 1937.

“Our state literally shrunk in 2020,” said Dr. Scott Harris, the state’s health officer.

CR Note: Back in November, housing economist Tom Lawler wrote The Dismal Demographics of 2020 . Here is an update from Tom Lawler: Updat...

Objective To estimate changes in life expectancy in 2010-18 and during the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 across population groups in the United States and to compare outcomes with peer nations. Design Simulations of provisional mortality data. Setting US and 16 other high income countries in 2010-18 and 2020, by sex, including an analysis of US outcomes by race and ethnicity. Population Data for the US and for 16 other high income countries from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Human Mortality Database, respectively. Main outcome measures Life expectancy at birth, and at ages 25 and 65, by sex, and, in the US only, by race and ethnicity. Analysis excluded 2019 because life table data were not available for many peer countries. Life expectancy in 2020 was estimated by simulating life tables from estimated age specific mortality rates in 2020 and allowing for 10% random error. Estimates for 2020 are reported as medians with fifth and 95th centiles. Results Between 2010 and 2018, the gap in life expectancy between the US and the peer country average increased from 1.88 years (78.66 v 80.54 years, respectively) to 3.05 years (78.74 v 81.78 years). Between 2018 and 2020, life expectancy in the US decreased by 1.87 years (to 76.87 years), 8.5 times the average decrease in peer countries (0.22 years), widening the gap to 4.69 years. Life expectancy in the US decreased disproportionately among racial and ethnic minority groups between 2018 and 2020, declining by 3.88, 3.25, and 1.36 years in Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White populations, respectively. In Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black populations, reductions in life expectancy were 18 and 15 times the average in peer countries, respectively. Progress since 2010 in reducing the gap in life expectancy in the US between Black and White people was erased in 2018-20; life expectancy in Black men reached its lowest level since 1998 (67.73 years), and the longstanding Hispanic life expectancy advantage almost disappeared. Conclusions The US had a much larger decrease in life expectancy between 2018 and 2020 than other high income nations, with pronounced losses among the Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black populations. A longstanding and widening US health disadvantage, high death rates in 2020, and continued inequitable effects on racial and ethnic minority groups are likely the products of longstanding policy choices and systemic racism. Data sharing: Requests for additional data and analytic scripts used in this study should be emailed to RKM (Ryan.Masters@colorado.edu).

Institutional investors are not the reason why home prices are rising

In a new annual report, ECLAC estimates that the total number of poor people rose to 209 million by the end of 2020, which is 22 million more people than in the previous year. In addition, it calls for creating a new welfare state.

With the adjustment for vaccination, the national death rate is roughly the same as it was two months ago, while the adjusted rates in several states show the pandemic is spreading as fast among the unvaccinated as it did during the winter surge.

The proportion of older workers participating in the labor force is hovering at its worst level since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, potentially impairing economic growth.

Key Takeaways HomeAdvisor’s new 2020 State of Home Spending report is now available Spending increased across the board for improvement, maintenance, and repair driven in part by rising labor and supply costs Millennials are highest average spenders on home improvement, spending nearly $10,000 on home improvement projects this year  How much more time did we...

Melissa Kearney and Phillip Levine update their recent

Over all, the birthrate declined by 4 percent in 2020. Births were down most sharply in December, when babies conceived at the start of the health crisis would have been born.

And what else you need to know today.

Widespread disease outbreaks have the potential to shock societies into new ways of living.