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Census: U.S. Continues To Get Older And More Diverse; Though More Slowly

By: Mark Memmott // December 12, 2012
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The trends continue:

"The U.S. population will be considerably older and more racially and ethnically diverse by 2060, according to projections released today by the U.S. Census Bureau."

Based on data from the 2010 census, the bureau projects that:

-- "The population age 65 and older is expected to more than double between 2012 and 2060, from 43.1 million to 92.0 million. The older population would represent just over one in five U.S. residents by the end of the period, up from one in seven today."

-- "The non-Hispanic white population is projected to peak in 2024, at 199.6 million, up from 197.8 million in 2012. Unlike other race or ethnic groups, however, its population is projected to slowly decrease, falling by nearly 20.6 million from 2024 to 2060."

-- "Meanwhile, the Hispanic population would more than double, from 53.3 million in 2012 to 128.8 million in 2060. Consequently, by the end of the period, nearly one in three U.S. residents would be Hispanic, up from about one in six today."

-- "The black population is expected to increase from 41.2 million to 61.8 million over the same period. Its share of the total population would rise slightly, from 13.1 percent in 2012 to 14.7 percent in 2060."

-- "The Asian population is projected to more than double, from 15.9 million in 2012 to 34.4 million in 2060, with its share of nation's total population climbing from 5.1 percent to 8.2 percent in the same period."

Overall, the U.S. is now expected to become a majority-minority nation in 2043 — not much changed from the previous forecast that the turn would occur in 2042. The population, approaching 320 million now, is expected to go over 400 million in 2051.

According to Census demographers, though the trends haven't really changed — the U.S. population is aging and growing more diverse:

"Population is projected to grow much more slowly over the next several decades, compared with the last set of projections released in 2008 and 2009. That is because the projected levels of births and net international migration are lower in the projections released today, reflecting more recent trends in fertility and international migration."

Census has links to much more data here.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

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