I’ve often heard figures quoted like “only 4% of Americans hold passports,” usually by people explaining why they think Americans are parochial and uninformed about the rest of the world.
I’ve just read that the number is much greater: An estimated 25% of the US population, or 78 million people, currently hold a passport.
It was in the BBC, so it must be true. Anybody know for sure? How would you find out?
[quote=“Loretta”]I’ve often heard figures quoted like “only 4% of Americans hold passports,” usually by people explaining why they think Americans are parochial and uninformed about the rest of the world.
I’ve just read that the number is much greater: An estimated 25% of the US population, or 78 million people, currently hold a passport.
It was in the BBC, so it must be true. Anybody know for sure? How would you find out?[/quote]
Apparently they now need one to visit some neighbouring countries whereas previously a driving licence would suffice. That might explain the increase in passport holders.
Bob
Loretta I’m only doing this because you’re so cute when you play “dumb” and “innocent” 
http://travel.state.gov/passport/services/stats/stats_890.html
It’s been increasing since we learned that The Rest of the World was a reality show and not some sort of Truman Show in reverse. I think the real turning point though was Borat’s whirlwind tour of the U.S. That really shook up a lot of preconceptions.
The downside though is that admissions to psychiatric facilities are on the upswing. One particularly overwhelming piece of news is that we actually did land on Mars – that it wasn’t just some staged event.
I’ll bet nearly 100% of the Americans here on 'mosa have 'em. 
Whatever the percentage was, it has been skyrocketing over the past several months with the upcoming requirements that travelers to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean have passports to return. The lines in the passport lane of the post office these days are supposed to be terrible.
Not a lot of us travel very far outside the country. We got mountains, tropical beaches, huge cities etc.
Another thing is when we migrate for work we do so in our own country unlike our fine neighbors to the north and south.
I got my first passport because I went to Toronto in the 80’s for a seminar-I don’t think I even needed it.
There might be other better examples of American provincialism.
You forgot to the nearest McDonald’s.
[quote=“taiwiener”]Loretta I’m only doing this because you’re so cute when you play “dumb” and “innocent”
http://travel.state.gov/passport/services/stats/stats_890.html[/quote]
According to travel.state.gov, US passports are valid for 10 years for adults. So in the link above, if you add the first 10 numbers (1997-2006), you get 79 million. Subtract some that died and some that expired and not renewed because they belonged to children (validity only 5 years), and that BBC number of 78 million looks just about right.
[quote=“TpeBob”]
Apparently they now need one to visit some neighbouring countries whereas previously a driving licence would suffice. That might explain the increase in passport holders.
Bob[/quote]
Is this was the case it would have had to have changed in the past year. Because I visited some neighboring countries when I was home last with only my drivers license.
[quote=“SuchAFob”][quote=“TpeBob”]
Apparently they now need one to visit some neighbouring countries whereas previously a driving licence would suffice. That might explain the increase in passport holders.
Bob[/quote]
Is this was the case it would have had to have changed in the past year. Because I visited some neighboring countries when I was home last with only my drivers license.[/quote]
Here’s what’s happening in Canada
[quote]Since January 23, 2007, a new American law requires everyone entering the United States BY AIR to have a valid passport.
Canadians can continue to use such documents as their birth certificates and drivers’ licence to cross the Canada-U.S. border BY LAND AND SEA for at least another year.[/quote]
[quote=“TpeBob”][quote=“Loretta”]I’ve often heard figures quoted like “only 4% of Americans hold passports,” usually by people explaining why they think Americans are parochial and uninformed about the rest of the world.
I’ve just read that the number is much greater: An estimated 25% of the US population, or 78 million people, currently hold a passport.
It was in the BBC, so it must be true. Anybody know for sure? How would you find out?[/quote]
Apparently they now need one to visit some neighbouring countries whereas previously a driving licence would suffice. That might explain the increase in passport holders.
Bob[/quote]
The story I linked to was about how the new law is being put on hold due to the huge demand making it impossible to supply the passports quickly enough. This means that a) the 78 million already had their passports, and b) a great many more Americans do travel to neighbouring countries but did so without a passport in the past.
So the idea of Americans not travelling may not be very accurate.
How many Europeans crossed borders without a passport before the borders were done away with? What percentage of Europeans hold a passport? I’ve no idea, but I bet there are plenty of Frenchies who have never needed one. Brits have always needed a passport to go anywhere, so it’s easy to assume that anyone who doesn’t have a passport never leaves Springfield, but if 25% of a population has a passport even though it’s not needed to cross nearby borders then Americans may be a good deal more mobile than everyone else gives them credit for.
Of course, once they leave their own country their behaviour still leaves a lot to be desired. They don’t match the panache and worldly sophistication of the average Brit in Bendorm, for instance.
While we’re on the subject, I’ve heard that there are some 45 million Irish passports in circulation despite the country having a population of less than 5 million. Anybody know anything about this either?
[quote=“SuchAFob”][quote=“TpeBob”]
Apparently they now need one to visit some neighbouring countries whereas previously a driving licence would suffice. That might explain the increase in passport holders.
Bob[/quote]
Is this was the case it would have had to have changed in the past year. Because I visited some neighboring countries when I was home last with only my drivers license.[/quote]
Hawai doesnt count lol
Back in the day when I worked for a U.S airline, U.S. travelers to Central America just required their driver’s license to board the plane. Upon arrival, they would purchase a “tourist card”, where their entry and exit dates would be stamped.
The new passport law hasn’t been put on hold, the government simply made a slight accommodation due to the increased number of passport applications. The U.S. government recently announced that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports may temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.
Thus, Americans still need to complete all the paperwork for their passport in order to fly to Canada. I suspect the line to get the Department of State official proof of application for a passport is where most of the waiting occurs.
Where I live in the States, which is rural New England, most people think Florida is plenty far for travel purposes (and exotic enough for their needs). 
Like someone mentioned a while back, until recently it really hasn’t made much sense for most Americans to get passports. Remember that until now you practically had to travel to a different continent to even need one. Also America has most of the usual kinds of tourist destinations like beaches, mountains, casinos, etc. Then consider that you can spend a couple hundred bucks on gas to drive to California or Florida or Colorado or wherever, verses at least $500 a head for a trip to Europe, just for the flight, and it ususally just makes more sense stay on this side of the pond.
So why did 25% of Americans hold passports before they needed them for ‘local’ foreign travel?
This is not in line with the parochial unworldly stereotype.
Huh? that figure is right in line with what I said, since “most Americans” would be the 75% that didn’t have passports.
My statement wasn’t to suggest that Americans are uncultured or don’t want to travel, it was just to suggest that there are perfectly good reasons an American wouldn’t necessarily have a passport without bringing in any of the negative stereotypes.
Huh? that figure is right in line with what I said, since “most Americans” would be the 75% that didn’t have passports.
My statement wasn’t to suggest that Americans are uncultured or don’t want to travel, it was just to suggest that there are perfectly good reasons an American wouldn’t necessarily have a passport without bringing in any of the negative stereotypes.[/quote]
Mate, get down off your defensive high horse. I’m not trying to have a go at anybody, quite the reverse.
I consider 25% to be quite a lot, especially compared to the mythical 4% that I’ve heard bandied around in the past. If that 25% were travelling beyond the usual neighbouring countries, where passports were not needed, then the percentage of Americans who DO travel beyond the borders of the USA must be a great deal higher than is usually claimed by people with agendas.
My post was simply intended to comment on the fact that most of the world seems to have an erroneous picture of the travelling habits of Americans. Sadly, it attracted the attention of someone who felt it necessary to defend America anyway, giving fuel to those who feel that the average American is still unable to have a wider perspective on the world. I guess travel doesn’t broaden the mind after all.