Serving up 'Just the Facts' So Americans can decide on Election Day

This Election Will be Decided by Candidate's Position on Critical Issues, but does the American Voter know the actual Facts?

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans prepare to cast their ballots in the 2024 Presidential election, it is crucial to understand the data behind the key issues shaping our nation's future. USAFacts, a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic organization founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer developed a six-part PSA series, titled "Just the Facts with Steve Ballmer," to serve as a resource for Americans to easily access government data.

"Tomorrow's election will shape our country for the next four years, and beyond. We encourage all Americans to exercise their right to vote, and to go to the polls confidently to make an informed decision. Voters should have unfettered access to the data driving the critical issues of this election; we've made that data accessible and digestible in our 'Just the Facts' video series," said Steve Ballmer Founder of USAFacts.org.

Key data points related to immigration, the federal Budget, economy, healthcare, energy and the American population include:

• In 2022, 2.6 million authorized immigrants, both those with no path to citizenship and with path to citizenship, were granted entry to United States.*
  
  
• The Department of Homeland Security estimates that the total unauthorized population living in the United States in 2022 – the most recent number – is around 11 million people. In 2010, that estimate was actually higher, 11.6 million people.*
  
  
• There was a deficit of $1.7 trillion in the FY 2023 federal budget resulting from $6.2 trillion in spending and $4.5 trillion in revenue. **
  
  
• In 2022, average food-at-home prices increased by 11.4%, the highest increase since 1979. Average annual food-at-home prices were 5.0 percent higher in 2023 than in 2022. For context, the 20-year historical level of retail food price inflation is 2.5 percent per year. Price growth slowed in 2023 compared with 2022, when food-at-home prices rose by 11.4 percent. ***
  
  
• In 2023, the US imported about 6.48 million barrels per day of crude oil and exported 4.06 million B/D. In 2023, the United States imported about 8.51 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum from 86 countries. […] Crude oil exports of about 4.06 million b/d accounted for 40% of total U.S. gross petroleum exports. ****
  
  
• In 2022, there were 227,000 accidental deaths, accounting for 7% of total deaths. Accidental poisonings, which include drug overdoses, represented 45% of these accidental deaths. *****
  
  
• As of July 2024, the US population stood at nearly 337 million people, making up about 4% of the global population. Married-parent households have fallen from 31% of US households in 1980 to 18% in 2023, while the percentage of households comprised of adults living alone rose from 23% to 29% during the same period. ******

This data offers important context for the complex issues shaping the future of our country, and empowers voters to make educated and informed decisions. "Just the Facts with Steve Ballmer" is a PSA series produced by USAFacts, with a mission to provide key U.S. government data on the topics Americans care most about including healthcare, immigration, the national budget and spending, the US economy and our country's changing demographics.

The facts matter, you decide what to believe.

Sources:

*U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

**USAFacts, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Congressional Budget Office, Social Security Administration Fact Sheet

***USAFacts, U.S. Department of Agriculture, US Bureau of Labor Statistics 7/19/24, USA Facts Annual Report to Congress, Page 43, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

****US Energy Information Administration, US Energy Information Administration, US Energy Information Administration

*****USAFacts, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC Wonder

******US Profile, National Park System, US and World Population Clock, US Selected Household Characteristics

About USAFacts

USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic organization making government data easy for all Americans to access and understand. USAFacts provides an online resource of well-visualized data and trends in US spending, revenue, demographics to help ground public debate in facts. It produces topical content each week and produces three annual reports: State of the Union, 10-K and America in Facts: A Data-Driven Report to Congress. Follow @USAFacts on X, TikTok, Instagram and sign up for the data-driven newsletter at https://usafacts.org/signup/   

SOURCE USAFacts