Information collected by the Bureau of the Census in the March 1986 and 1987 supplements to the Current Population Survey (CPS) shows changes in selected demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the Hispanic population of the United States since 1982. The Hispanic civilian noninstitutional population increased by 4.3 million (or 30%) from 1980 to 1987. Educational attainment of Hispanics improved since 1982, but lags behind that of non-Hispanics. Hispanic men and women continue to earn less than non-Hispanics. Hispanic families continue to have less total money income than non-Hispanic families. The poverty rate of Spanish-origin families in 1986 was almost three times as high as that of non-Hispanic families. The poverty rate for Hispanic families has not changed significantly between 1981 and 1986, but because of population growth, the number of Hispanic families below the poverty level in 1986 was 24% higher than that in 1981. This report provides brief explanations and specific numbers regarding population change and composition, educational attainment, type of family, unemployment rates, median earnings of persons, income of families, and poverty. The eight data tables include social and economic characteristics by type of Hispanic origin. Technical notes discuss estimating procedures and reliability of the estimates. (JHZ)