This election will be decided by the candidate’s stance on critical issues, but does the American voter know the real facts?

BELLEVUE, Wash., November 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As Americans prepare to cast their ballots in the 2024 presidential election, it’s critical to understand the data behind the key issues shaping our nation’s future. USAFactsa non-profit, non-partisan 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 go to the polls with confidence to make an informed decision. Voters should have unfettered access to the data driving the critical issues of this election, and we’ve made that data accessible and digestible in our “Just the Facts” video series, said Steve Ballmer, founder of USAFacts.org.

Key data related to immigration, the federal budget, the economy, health, energy and the US population include:

• In 2022, 2.6 million authorized immigrants, both those without a path to citizenship and those with a path to citizenship, were granted entry into United States.*

• The Department of Homeland Security estimates that the total unauthorized population living in the United States of America in 2022 – the most recent count – it is about 11 million people. In 2010, this estimate was actually higher, 11.6 million people.*

• There was a shortage of 1.7 trillion dollars in the FY 2023 federal budget resulting from 6.2 trillion dollars in expenses and 4.5 trillion dollars in income. **

• In 2022, average home food prices rose 11.4%, the largest increase since 1979. Annual average home food prices were 5.0% 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 to 2022, when home food prices rose 11.4%. ***

• In 2023, the US imported about 6.48 million barrels per day of crude oil and exported 4.06 million B/D. In 2023, United States of America imported about 8.51 million barrels per day (b/d) of oil from 86 countries. (…) Crude oil exports of approximately 4.06 million b/d accounted for 40% of total US crude oil exports. ****

• In 2022, there were 227,000 accidental deaths, accounting for 7% of all deaths. Accidental poisonings, which include drug overdoses, accounted for 45% of these accidental deaths. *****

• Starting with July 2024the US population was nearly 337 million people, representing about 4% of the global population. Married-parent households declined from 31% of American households in 1980 to 18% in 2023, while the percentage of households consisting of adults living alone increased from 23% to 29% over the same period. *****

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This data provides important context for the complex issues shaping our country’s future 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 about most, including health care, immigration, the national budget and spending, the U.S. economy, and our country’s changing demographics .

Facts matter, you decide what to believe.

Sources:

*US Department of State, US Department of Homeland Security, Federal Reserve Bank of St. LouisUS Customs and Border Protection

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

***USAFacts, US Department of Agriculture, US Bureau of Labor Statistics 07/19/24, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 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, Selected US Household Characteristics

About USAFacts

USAFacts is a non-profit, non-partisan civic organization that makes government data easy to access and understand for all Americans. USAFacts provides an online resource of well-visualized data and trends on US spending, income and demographics to support public debate in facts. It produces news content every 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

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SOURCE USAFacts