Who Are Minorities? - Minorities Are A Growing Percentage Of The Nation

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in July 2004 the U.S. population totaled 293.7 million people. Of that number, 197.8 million people (67.3%) identified themselves as white alone. The other 32.7% were members of one or more minority racial or ethnic groups. Although women are a majority of the nation's population (149.1 million women versus 144.5 million men), women are often considered a "minority" in social issues. (See Table 1.1.) In this publication, however, women are treated only in relation to racial or ethnic minority groups.

The Census Bureau predicts that by 2010, 65.1% of Americans will be white non-Hispanics and 34.9% will belong to a minority group. Projections indicate that the proportion of white, non-Hispanic Americans will shrink to only a bare majority (50.1%) by 2050, while 49.9% will belong to a minority racial or ethnic group. (See Table 1.2.)