Bridged-Race Postcensal Population Estimates
for July 1-2000-July 1-2002
for Calculating Vital Rates

On August 1, 2003, the National Center for Health Statistics released the Vintage 2002 bridged-race postcensal series of estimates which includes estimates for July 1, 2000 - July 2002 of the resident population of the United States (based on the 2000 census). Postcensal population estimates are estimates made for the years following a census, before the next census has been taken. Postcensal estimates are derived by updating the resident population enumerated in the decennial census using various measures of population change. The components of population change used in the derivation of the postcensal estimates include: births to resident women, deaths to U.S. residents, net international immigration, net movement of U.S. Armed Forces and civilian citizens of the U.S, and migration within the U.S.

The Census Bureau annually produces a series of postcensal estimates that includes estimates for the current data year and revised estimates for earlier years. Estimates for earlier years in a given series are revised to reflect changes in the components of change data sets (for example, a preliminary natality file is replaced with a final natality file). The last year in a series is used to name the series. For example, the Vintage 2001 postcensal series has estimates for July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2001 (released 01/01/2003 ); the Vintage 2002 postcensal series has estimates for July 1, 2000, July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2002. The July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2001 estimates from the Vintage 2001 and Vintage 2002 series differ.

To date, the Census Bureau has produced the Vintage 2001 and Vintage 2002 series of postcensal estimates of the July 1 resident population of the United States using the Census 2000 Modified Race Data Summary File as the base data for the series (1). These series initially had estimates for 31 race groups, in accordance with the 1997 race and ethnicity standards (2). Under a collaborative arrangement with NCHS, the Population Estimates Program of the U.S. Census Bureau applied the NHIS bridging proportions to the 31-race postcensal population estimates to produce bridged-race postcensal estimates (estimates for the four single-race categories: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander. The bridging methodology is described in detail in the forthcoming reports (3,4) and summarized on the Internet in Documentation for bridged-race population estimates for April 1, 2000.

The Vintage 2001 postcensal series (including July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2001) were released January 12, 2003 with the bridged-race April 1, 2000 census counts. The Vintage 2001 estimates are available only at the national level. They have estimates by year, single-year of age (0,1,2,...,84, 85 years and over), bridged-race category (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander), sex, and Hispanic origin (not Hispanic or Latino, Hispanic or Latino).

The Vintage 2002 postcensal estimates (including July 1, 2000, July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2002) currently being released are by year, State and county, single-year of age (0,1,2,...,84, 85 years and over), bridged-race category (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander), sex, and Hispanic origin (not Hispanic or Latino, Hispanic or Latino). The Vintage 2001 postcensal series (released January 12, 2003 and including July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2001) are by single-year of age (0,1,2,...,84, 85 years and over), bridged-race category (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander), sex, and Hispanic origin (not Hispanic or Latino, Hispanic or Latino).

Release of estimates:

NCHS is using the bridged-race postcensal population estimates to calculate birth and death rates. Previously published reports that used 1990-based postcensal population estimates to calculate rates for 2001 have been or will be re-issued in whole or in part; new reports use the bridged-race estimates (5, 6, 7, 8).

The bridged-race postcensal estimates are updated annually as additional data become available, both for use in the components of change model and for use in the bridging process. In response to the increasing need for bridged estimates by a wide range of users, NCHS is making the bridged population estimates available in the accompanying data files and file documentation. The file layouts for the Vintage 2001 and Vintage 2002 postcensal bridged-race population estimates are provided below.

Although efforts were made to use the best available data and methods to produce these estimates, the modeling process introduces error into the estimates. The potential for error will be greatest for the smallest population groups, particularly the smaller race groups and county level estimates. NCHS would appreciate receiving feedback on the usefulness of the estimates as well as any problems that have been identified. Please provide comments via e-mail to: PopEst@cdc.gov.

Suggested citation

National Center for Health Statistics. Estimates of the July 1, 2000 and July 1, 2001, United States resident population from the Vintage 2001 postcensal series by year, age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, prepared under a collaborative arrangement with the U.S. Census Bureau. 2003. Available on the Internet at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/popbridge/popbridge.htm.

National Center for Health Statistics. Estimates of the July 1, 2000-July 1, 2002, United States resident population from the Vintage 2002 postcensal series by year, age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, prepared under a collaborative arrangement with the U.S. Census Bureau. 2003. Available on the Internet at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/popbridge/popbridge.htm.

References

1. Office of Management and Budget. Revisions to the standards for the classification of Federal data on race and ethnicity. Federal Register 62FR58781-58790, October 30, 1997 . Available on the internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/r&e_app-a-update.pdf. Also, here.

2. Census 2000 Modified Race Data [MR(31)-CO.txt], prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, 2002.

3. Ingram DD, Parker JD, Schenker N, Weed JA, Hamilton B, Arias E, Madans JH. U.S. Census 2000 with bridged race categories. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 2, Number 135. September 2003.

4. Parker JD, Schenker N, Ingram DD, Weed JA, Heck KE, Madans JH. Bridging between two standards for collecting information on race and ethnicity: an application to Census 2000 and vital rates. Submitted for publication.

5. Ventura SJ, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD. Revised birth and fertility rates for the United States, 2000 and 2001. National Vital Statistics Reports; Vol 51 no 4. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003.

6. Arias E, Smith BL. Deaths: Preliminary data for 2001. National Vital Statistics Reports; Vol 51 no 5. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003.

7. Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, Ventura SJ. Revised birth and fertility rates for the 1990s and new rates for Hispanic populations, 2000 and 2001: United States. National vital statistics reports; vol 51 no 12. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003.

8. Arias E, Anderson RN, Kung HC, Murphy S, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final Data for 2001. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 51 (in preparation). Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003.


File layout for the Bridged-Race Vintage 2002 Postcensal Files, 2000-2002

There is one file for the Vintage 2002 postcensal series with data for all three of the years in the series ( July 1, 2000, July 1, 2001, and July 1, 2002 ). The file contains bridged-race estimates of the July 1 resident population of the United States by year, State, county, single-year of age (0, 1, ..., 84 85 years and over), bridged-race (White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian or Pacific Islander), sex, and Hispanic origin (not Hispanic or Latino, Hispanic or Latino).

File name: pcen_v2002.txt

Number of records: 4,322,016

Control totals:

July 1, 2000 population = 282,224,366
July 1, 2001 population = 285,317,572
July 1, 2002 population = 288,368,706

File Layout:


Location   Field Size   Item and Code Outline     Format
1-4 4 Series vintage(2002) Numeric
5-6 2 FIPS State code Numeric
7-9 3 FIPS county code Numeric
10-11 2 Age Numeric
     (-, 1, 2, ..., 84, 85 years and over)  
12 1 Race-Sex Group Numeric
     1=White male  
     2=White female  
     3=Black male  
     4=Black female  
     5=American Indian or Alaska Native male  
     6=American Indian or Alaska Native female  
     7=Asian or Pacific Islander male  
     8=Asian or Pacific Islander female  
13 1 Hispanic or Latino origin Numeric
     1=not Hispanic or Latino  
     2=Hispanic or Latino  
14-21 8 Population count for July 1, 2000 Numeric
22-29 8 Population count for July 1, 2001 Numeric
30-37 8 Population count for July 1, 2002 Numeric

Source:

Documentation for bridged-race postcensal Vintage 2002 population estimates for July 1, 2000-July1, 2002 which was released on August 1, 2003, is on the internet at ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datasets/nvss/bridgepop/DocumentationBridgedPostcenV2002.doc.




This page last reviewed: Tuesday, November 19, 2019
This information is provided as technical reference material. Please contact us at cwus@cdc.gov.