Asian-Americans were the fastest-growing minority group in the US last year for the third consecutive year, reports the Census Bureau in newly-released estimates. Indeed, Asian-Americans’ population growth rate increased from the prior year, up 3.2% to 20.3 million as of July 1, 2014. The Hispanic population grew by a relatively smaller 2.1% (equal to the previous year’s growth rate), but to a much larger 55.4 million. In fact, Hispanics accounted for almost 17.4% of the population as of July 2014.
Other race or ethnic groups also grew between July 2013 and 2014:
- The black or African-American population grew by 1.3% to 45.7 million;
- The number of American Indians and Alaska Natives increased by 1.4% to slightly more than 6.5 million; and
- The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders population grew by 2.3% to 1.5 million.
As a result of those figures, the US’ minority population (all groups other than non-Hispanic single-race whites) climbed to almost 121 million people, accounting for 37.9% of the total population. The non-Hispanic white-alone population was the only to have more deaths than births between 2013 and 2014. That population is much older than the minority population; the median age of the non-Hispanic white-alone population was 43.1 years, while it was 28.5 for Hispanics and under 35 for all other races save non-Hispanic Asians (36.4).
The relative youth of the minority population means that for the first time, a majority (50.2%) of children under 5 belong to a minority group. Looking at various age groups, the data indicates that:
- Some 48.1% of Americans under the age of 18 are minorities (any group other non-Hispanic single-race whites);
- Minorities represent 45.5% of 14-17-year-olds;
- Minorities comprise 44.9% of the 18-24 bracket;
- Some 42.3% of Americans aged 25-44 belong to a group other than non-Hispanic whites;
- Fewer than one-third (31%) of Americans aged 45-64 are minorities; and
- About 1 in 5 Americans aged 65+ (21.7%) or 85+ (17.7%) are minorities.
Meanwhile, in other findings:
- California housed the most Hispanics of any state as of July 1, 2014, at 15 million;
- California also had the largest Asian population, at 6.3 million; and
- New York had the largest black or African-American population, at 3.8 million.
See here for more details about the Asian-American population.
