The 2030 United States census, known as "Census 2030", will be the twenty-fifth United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, will be April 1, 2030.[1]
Background
As required by the United States Constitution, the US census has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. The 2020 census was the previous census completed. All persons in the US age 18 years and older are legally obligated to answer census questions, and to do so truthfully (Title 13 of the United States Code).[2][3]
Early planning started in October 2018, followed by a design selection phase which is currently under way.[5] Public input was collected between August and November 2022 to inform the Census Bureau's decisions on the operational design of the 2030 census,[6] including which languages should be used to collect census data.[7]
Design changes
In January 2023, a notice in the Federal Register proposed separate checkboxes in the race or ethnicity question for "Hispanic or Latino" as well as "Middle Eastern or North African".[8] On March 28, 2024, the Bureau announced the following modifications to questions on race and ethnicity:
consolidate the race and ethnicity questions into one question, with Hispanic or Latino considered as a minimum category
add Middle Eastern or North African as a new minimum category
require the collection of additional details beyond the minimum required race and ethnicity in most situations[9]
References
^"2030 Census". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 29, 2022.