Interactive graphic shows the percentage of the population issued passports in each of the fifty states. I am not surprised at the regional discrepancies, which sort with so many other measures of sophistication state-by-state. I am surprised by how low the percentages are across the board. Overall, less than five percent of the American public hold passports. If that doesn’t speak to our insularity… Update: As a reader points out (see the comments), it is likely that the statistic represents the percentage of Americans who were issued passports in just one year. A Google search on “percentage of Americans who have passports” comes up with a figure more like 20-30% instead.
via Good.
This is startling.
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I believe that the map represents the percentage of residents who got a passport in fiscal year 2006. It doesn’t reflect the total percentage of the population that has a passport. At least, I think that’s what the map shows. It’s not explained well, that’s for sure. Interesting when incompetent graphics artists poke fun at Americans for being so provincial.
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I stand corrected! On closer examination, I think you are absolutely right. And a google search on “percentage of Americans who have passports” comes up with figures in the 20-30% range, which is more plausible. What threw me off the most was the Washington DC 2006 percentage given on the map. One quarter of DC residents had new or renewed passports issued in that year alone??
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