The U.S. Census Bureau today released its Post-Enumeration Survey results, a census-data quality assessment showing that, nationally, the 2020 Census drastically undercounted Black, LatinX, and Native residents.
The Bureau’s analysis found that its 2020 data undercounted Black populations by 3.3%, LatinX populations by 5.0%, and Native Americans/Native Alaskans living on reservations by 5.6%. The undercounts continue a trend after the same groups were underrepresented in the 2010 Census.
The 2020 Census undercounts occurred amid COVID-19 and natural disasters upending an already complex process. Fair Count is committed to ensuring that the 2030 Census is our most accurate and equitable census to date. Doing so, first and foremost, will require that we:
- Research and understand the factors that contribute to undercounts and overcounts.
- Secure funding for the Census Bureau to enhance quality and operations while developing and maintaining partnerships at the local and state organizational levels.
- Test new strategies, especially in rural areas and in communities prone to natural disasters, with a focus on eliminating the erasure of historically undercounted populations.
