New checkboxes for Hispanic people and people of Middle Eastern and North African descent are headed to the 2030 census.
The Office of Management and Budget announced Thursday the changes on Thursday.
Driving the news: This change is the first in race and ethnicity categorization in 27 years, aiming to address criticism of major groups being left out of demographic collection.
- The census will combine race and ethnicity questions into one, adding a new category for Middle Eastern and North African individuals.
- The revised demographic categories will include American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and White.
What they’re saying: “Thanks to the hard work of staff across dozens of federal agencies and input from thousands of members of the public, these updated standards will help create more useful, accurate, and up to date federal data on race and ethnicity,” said U.S. Chief Statistician Karin Orvis in a statement. “These revisions will enhance our ability to compare information and data across federal agencies, and also to understand how well federal programs serve a diverse America.”
