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TABLE 501. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ACTIVE OPTOMETRISTS AND OPTOMETRIST-TO-POPULATION RATIOS, SELECTED YEARS: 1960-2000

YEAR
ALL ACTIVE
OPTOMETRISTS 1/
RESIDENT
POPULATION 2/
(THOUSANDS)
OPTOMETRISTS
PER 100,000
TOTAL POP
1960 16,100 179,979 8.9
1965 17,300 193,526 8.9
1970 18,400 203,984 9.0
1975 19,900 215,465 9.2
1980 21,900 227,225 9.6
1981 22,300 229,466 9.7
1982 22,700 231,664 9.8
1983 23,100 233,792 9.9
1984 23,600 235,825 10.0
1985 24,000 237,924 10.1
1986 24,300 240,133 10.1
1987 24,700 242,289 10.2
1988 25,100 244,499 10.3
1989 25,500 246,819 10.3
1990 26,000 249,464 10.4
1991 26,500 252,153 10.5
1991 27,000 255,030 10.6
1993 27,600 257,783 10.7
1994 28,300 260,327 10.9
1995 28,900 262,803 11.0
1996 29,500 265,229 11.1
1997 30,200 267,784 11.3
1998 30,800 270,248 11.4
1999 31,500 272,691 11.6
2000 32,200 275,130 11.7

1/ Includes optometrists in Federal service.
2/ Resident population estimates based on 1990 Census.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Center for Health Statistics. Health Resources Statistics 1976-77, DHEW Pub No (PHS) 79-1509, 1979; Bureau of Health Professions, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; American Optometric Association; U.S. Bureau of the Census. Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2001.