Infoplease Editors' Blog

Since 1878 the U.S. government has published The Statistical Abstract of the United States, an annual compendium of facts and figures covering demographics, vital statistics, economic figures, and so on. But should you be under the erroneous impression that this august book of record is merely useful and edifying, read on — this exposé is meant to forever shatter that humdrum reputation.

For those used to the Statistical Abstract as a reliable source for looking up railroad freight traffic or national park acreage, it may be hard to believe that feverishly waiting between its sober and staid covers is a demimonde of seamy statistics, a Babylon of bizarre and defiantly frivolous charts and tables. To convince the skeptics, let's plunge right into a selection of shockers on sex and money. (The online version of the Stat Abstract site is finicky and subject to frequent crashes, so I’m not including links to the individual tables.)

SEX

The Have and the Have Nots: 22.6% of the male population (between 15 and 44) has had more than 15 sexual partners, and 9.7% hasn’t had any. 9.2% of the female population has had more than 15 partners and 8.6% have thus far remained completely celibate.

The Golden Mean: In 2002, the median number of sexual partners for American men (between 15 and 44) was 5.4. The median number of sexual partners for American women in the same age category was 3.3

MONEY

Penny Wise, Plastic Foolish: In 2001, 25.6% of credit card holders "hardly ever" paid off their balance and another 19.6% only "sometimes" paid off their balance.

The Rich Grow Greedier: In 2000, people making under $10,000 a year donated an average of 5.5% of their income to charity. People making $100,000 and more donated an average of 2.7%.

From this modest sampling it should be obvious that hours of tantalizing amusement lie ahead for those who know the real truth about the Statistical Abstract. Just wait until you see what it has to say about anchovies, barber shops, crack cocaine, dehumidifiers, gambling arrests, water polo teams, leprosy, skateboard accidents, and swordfish.