Peace Corps Facts and Figures

Today's Peace Corps

• Number of countries - 87
  (over 132 since 1961)
  
• Number of Volunteers - 6,500
  (as of 1999)
  
• Average age - 29
  
• Oldest Volunteer - 76
  (as of 1997)
  
• Male/female percentage - 43%/57%
  
• Ethnic minority representation - 13%
  

Of That Number, The Percentage Who Are:

• African American - 22%
  
• Hispanic American - 27%
  
• Asian American - 29%
  
• American Indian - 2%
  
• Mixed Ethnicity - 20%
  
• Single/married percentage - 92%/8%
  
• Volunteers with bachelor's degree or higher - 98%
  
• Volunteers with advanced degree - 15%
  (as of 1997)
  

Did You Know That Peace Corps...

• Has more workers in environmental projects than any other international volunteer development organization?
  
• Is the world's largest volunteer force teaching English as a foreign language?
  
• Has almost 1000 Volunteers working directly in small business development programs?
  
• Has a Volunteer Corps that speaks over 200 languages and dialects - as different as Wolof and Kyrgz, Ruturo and Chinese?
  

Assignment Sector Areas Volunteers Work On

• Education - 40%
  
• Environment - 16%
  
• Health - 15%
  
• Economic Development - 14%
  
• Agriculture - 11%
  
• Other - 4%
  

Where Volunteers Serve

• Africa - 36%
  
• Central/South America - 29%
  
• Central/Eastern Europe - 23%
  
• Asia/the Pacific - 12%