US Population by Age Group (2010)

\begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|}
\hline
Age Group & \begin{tabular}{c}
Percent of \\
Population
\end{tabular} & \begin{tabular}{c}
Total \\
Number
\end{tabular} \\
\hline
Under 18 & [tex]$24.0 \%$[/tex] & [tex]$74,181,467$[/tex] \\
\hline
[tex]$18-24$[/tex] & [tex]$9.9 \%$[/tex] & [tex]$30,672,088$[/tex] \\
\hline
[tex]$25-44$[/tex] & [tex]$26.6 \%$[/tex] & [tex]$82,134,554$[/tex] \\
\hline
[tex]$45-64$[/tex] & [tex]$26.4 \%$[/tex] & [tex]$81,489,445$[/tex] \\
\hline
65 and older & [tex]$13.0 \%$[/tex] & [tex]$40,267,984$[/tex] \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

1. What portion of the US population was under the age of 18 in 2010? [tex]$\square$[/tex]

2. The largest segment of the population in 2010 was [tex]$\square$[/tex]

3. Which trend does this table help illustrate?



Answer :

To determine various insights from the given data, we will follow a structured step-by-step process:

1. Calculate Total Population:
The total population will be the sum of all age groups provided in the table.

[tex]\[ \text{Total Population} = 74,181,467 + 30,672,088 + 82,134,554 + 81,489,445 + 40,267,984 \][/tex]

Adding these numbers together:

[tex]\[ \text{Total Population} = 308,745,538 \][/tex]

2. Portion of the Population Under 18:
To find the portion of the population that is under 18, we will divide the number of individuals under 18 by the total population.

[tex]\[ \text{Portion Under 18} = \frac{\text{Population Under 18}}{\text{Total Population}} \][/tex]

Substituting the values:

[tex]\[ \text{Portion Under 18} = \frac{74,181,467}{308,745,538} \approx 0.240267 \][/tex]

Thus, the portion of the US population under the age of 18 in 2010 is approximately 0.240267, or 24.03%.

3. Identify the Largest Segment of the Population:
To find the largest segment of the population, we will compare the totals for each age group given in the table. The numbers are as follows:

- Under 18: 74,181,467
- 18-24: 30,672,088
- 25-44: 82,134,554
- 45-64: 81,489,445
- 65 and older: 40,267,984

The largest number among these is 82,134,554, which corresponds to the age group 25-44.

Therefore, the largest segment of the population in 2010 was the 25-44 age group.

4. Illustrating Trends:
The table illustrates how the US population in 2010 is distributed across different age groups. Specifically, it shows:

- Which age group has the largest segment (25-44).
- The relative sizes of each age group, indicating trends in demographics, such as a large young population under 18 and significant numbers in the working age groups (25-44 and 45-64).

To summarize:

- The portion of the US population under the age of 18 in 2010 was approximately [tex]\(0.240267\)[/tex] (or roughly 24.03% of the population).
- The largest segment of the population in 2010 was the age group 25-44, with 82,134,554 people.
- The table helps illustrate the age distribution of the US population in 2010, indicating demographic trends such as the size of the workforce and the potential future changes in aging.