what percentage of Americans own a passport and have ever left the United States?

Question

Answers:

A) 40 %
B) 26%
C) 10%
D) 2%

Answer 1

I would guess that it is rather low. Most Americans cannot afford the cost of a passport and/or traveling. I say answer C, but it could be as low as D.

Answer 2

I've amended my origional awnser!

Don't forget your passport - or else

By CP


CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. -- The U.S. ambassador to Canada is telling Canadians not to take chances at land border crossings and get passports ready.

"What I tell Canadians is the same thing I tell Americans, is, with all due respect, get a passport -- that is the sure thing," David Wilkins said yesterday.

The U.S. ambassador said there are a lot "mixed messages," but he pointed out a passport law has been passed.

"It requires passports for air travel now and it will require passports for land travel, something between January '08 and June of '09," Wilkins said.

He also suggested Canadians acquire a NEXUS card. The pre-approved card is designed to expedite the border clearance process for low-risk, pre-approved travellers into Canada and the U.S.

Wilkins pointed out on a visit to a border crossing in Champlain, N.Y., that Americans are getting the message.

"We're issuing passports to Americans at a rate of more than 1.5 million a month -- almost 20 million a year."

Wilkins said regulations for a cheaper passport card will come out this summer.

The passport card is the size of a credit card.

"I think you're going to continue to see Americans get passports and passport cards in record numbers."

The Canadian government will introduce legislation soon designed to shorten the long-lines and lengthy waiting times that have become part of the passport application process.

The new Passport Canada Act would, in particular, simplify the process for passport renewals, says Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay.

"(The Act) will deal with some of the perceived and real difficulties around the application process including the renewal process," MacKay said.

A spokesperson for MacKay couldn't say when the government will bring the bill to before Parliament for debate, saying the legislation was still in the "talking stages."

Answer 3

From this article http://www.mobilisa.com/highlights/newsArticles/The%20Olympian%20-%20State%20Project%20Targets%20U.S.%20Passport%20Plan%2011.14.06.pdf
"Only about 23% of Americans own a passport and only 10% of those actually leave the country"

From the Dept of State here's some passport statistics and you can see that it's a small percentage of the US population http://travel.state.gov/passport/services/stats/stats_890.html

U.S. Passports Issued per Fiscal Year (2006 - 1996):

2006 - 12,133,537
2005 - 10,123,424
2004 - 8,825,410
2003 - 7,300,667
2002 - 7,001,482
2001 - 7,119,506
2000 - 7,292,182
1999 - 6,722,198
1998 - 6,539,864
1997 - 6,295,003
1996 - 5,547,693

Answer 4

Answers vary widely and there are no official statistics.

According to a survey done by the Canada Tourism Commission (which was investigating the impact of new passport regulations in the USA), the number is 34% for passport holders.

Answer 5

I would guess at the 26% mark currently. With the change of the rules, this will probably go lower, over the next couple of years.

Answer 6

Answers vary quite widely but it's around the 26% mark

Answer 7

I honestly don't know. I'm American, but I have friends and family who value travel, so we all travel out of the country regularly. I'm also a New Yorker, where a lot of people travel the world for business on a regular basis.

If I had to guess, though, I would guess somewhere between B and C.

Answer 8

Last I saw it was D. That will be changing soon enough.