What major change occurred in Census 2000 related to the collection of demographic information?

• A. All of the above
• B. Number living in the structure
• C. Home ownership
• D. Race and Hispanic origin

Answer: (D)

In Census 2000, a major shift in collecting demographic information was made by separating ethnicity from race and letting people identify with more than one race. For the first time, Hispanic origin was asked as its own question, separate from race, and respondents could select multiple racial categories. This change improved accuracy for multiracial individuals and clarified how ethnicity and race are measured and used in data analysis and policy. The other options relate to housing details rather than the fundamental approach to capturing demographic characteristics, so they don’t reflect the key change in demographic data collection.