DISCLAIMER

This paper reports the results of research and analysis undertaken by Census Bureau staff. It has undergone a more limited review than official Census Bureau publications. This report is released to inform interested parties of research and to encourage discussion.

How many grandparents live in the United States? A simple question, but one without an answer until now. The 2001 panel of the Survey oflncome and Program Participation (SIPP) included a direct measurement of grandparenthood in the Fertility History Topical Module that identified about 56 million grandparents. We confirm this estimate using two independent indirect measures that additionally suggest a methodology useful for generating indirect estimates of grandparents on fertility surveys without a direct question. We show characteristics of grandparents, both those living with grandchildren, and those living apart from grandchildren.