The racial and ethnic

demographics Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as ed ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

have changed dramatically throughout its history.

Sources of data

During the

American colonial period The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centur ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

colonial officials conducted

censuses A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

in some of the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centu ...

that included enumerations by race.U.S. Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Bicentennial Edition, Part 2, Series Z 1–19
Chapter Z: Colonial and Pre-Federal Statistics
. Washington, D.C., 1975. In addition,

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

lists and other reports provided additional data and information about the racial demographics of the Thirteen Colonies during this time period. People have been enumerated by race in every United States census since the first one in 1790. Collection of data on

race and ethnicity in the United States census Race and ethnicity in the United States census, defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the United States Census Bureau, are the self-identified categories of race or races and ethnicity chosen by residents, with whi ...

has changed over time, including addition of new enumeration categories and changes in definitions of those categories.

Historical trends

By 1471, Portuguese navigators hoping to tap the fabled Saharan gold trade had reconnoitered the West African coast as far as the Niger Delta, and traded European commodities for local crafts as well as slaves, the latter which turned out to be highly lucrative. The black population was non-existent to European regions in 1610, but awareness increased rapidly after 1620 when forced slavery of Africans was implemented building the

transatlantic slave trade The Atlantic slave trade, transatlantic slave trade, or Euro-American slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and i ...

in the 15th century in colonial areas, Caribbean islands which later became parts of the United States. By 1490, more than 3,000 slaves a year were transported to Portugal and Spain from Africa African Americans ( Blacks) made up almost one-fifth of the United States population in 1790, but their percentage of the total U.S. population declined in almost every U.S. census until

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

. From at least 1790 until the start of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the overwhelming majority (around ninety percent) of African Americans lived in the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. In addition, before 1865, the overwhelming majority of African Americans were

slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

. The Great Migration throughout the twentieth century (starting from World War I) resulted in more than six million African Americans leaving the Southern U.S. (especially

rural areas In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

) and moving to other parts of the United States (especially to

urban areas An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...

) due to the greater economic/job opportunities, less anti-black

violence Violence is the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy. Other definitions are also used, such as the World Health Organization's definition of violence as "the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened ...

lynchings Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

, and a smaller amount of

segregation Segregation may refer to: Separation of people * Geographical segregation, rates of two or more populations which are not homogenous throughout a defined space * School segregation * Housing segregation * Racial segregation, separation of humans ...

discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of Racial discrimination, r ...

there. Due to the Great Migration, many large

cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

outside of the

former Confederacy The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocea ...

(such as

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, and

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

) experienced huge increases in the African American percentage of their total population. Whites (including Non-Hispanic Whites) have historically made up the overwhelming majority (usually between eighty and ninety percent) of the total

United States population The United States had an official estimated resident population of 333,287,557 on July 1, 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia but excludes the population of five unincorpor ...

. The United States historically had few Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans, especially before the late twentieth century. Most Asian Americans historically lived in the

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the We ...

. The Hispanic and Asian population of the United States has rapidly increased in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and the African American percentage of the U.S. population is slowly increasing as well since reaching a low point of less than ten percent in 1930.

Historical data for all races and for Hispanic origin (1610–2020)

The United States census enumerated Whites and Blacks since

1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which t ...

, Asians and Native Americans since

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts ...

(though all Native Americans in the U.S. were not enumerated until

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship '' ...

), "some other race" since 1950, and "two or more races" since

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

. Mexicans were counted as White from 1790 to 1930, unless of apparent non-European extraction. Hispanics (as well as the Non-Hispanic White population) were enumerated since

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * Januar ...

(with the exception of

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

and

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

), but some estimates for the Hispanic (and Non-Hispanic White) population were made for certain years before 1940 (as well as for 1950 and 1960). a These population estimates include a small number of Native Americans/ Indians as part of the Black/Negro population throughout this time period (1610–1780).
b While all Native Americans in the United States were only counted as part of the (total) U.S. population since 1890, the U.S. Census Bureau previously either enumerated or made estimates of the non-taxed Native American population (which was not counted as a part of the U.S. population before 1890) for the 1860–1880 time period. The combined taxed and non-taxed Native American population in the United States was 339,421 in

, 313,712 in

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Br ...

, and 306,543 in

1880 Events January–March * January 22 – Toowong State School is founded in Queensland, Australia. * January – The international White slave trade affair scandal in Brussels is exposed and attracts international infamy. * February � ...

.
c Data on race from the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Censuses are not directly comparable with those from the 1990 census and previous censuses due, in large part, to giving respondents the option to report more than one race. This is also true of data from the 2020 census, which saw a large number of respondents who had previously only identified as one race identify as multiracial.

Population by race and age (census 2010)

* Some other race, two or more races and all other mixed people (about 5.3% Some other race (mainly Mestizo), 0.6% Black in combination, 0.55% Asian in combination, 0.25% American Indian or Alaska Native in combination, 2.4% Multiracial)

Population by race (estimates)

Black population (2000 and 2010) Hispanic or Latino (Estimates) Hispanic population (2000 and 2010) Hispanic or Latino Population by Type of Origin and Race: 2010 Hispanic or Latino 2010–2017 (Estimates) Asian 2000–2017 (Estimates) Asian population (2000 and 2010) Asian population pyramids (Census 2010) * Only about 10% from these category are people from South Asia, rest are from East or Southeast Asia American Indian and Alaska Native 2010–2017 (Estimates) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 2010–2017 (Estimates)

Immigration to the United States Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. In absolute numbers, the United States has a larger immigrant population than any other country in the worl ...

Immigration to the United States by region and country: *Cyprus was calculated in Europe. South Sudan was calculated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Top 10 sending countries: *M.- Mexico, Ch.- China, I.- India, P.- Philippines, D.R.- Dominican Republic, Cu.- Cuba, V.- Vietnam, K.- Korea (South & North), Col.- Colombia, H. – Haiti, E.S. – El Salvador, J. – Jamaica, U- Ukraine, G. – Guatemala, R.- Russian Federation, N. – Nicaragua, B.-H. – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Can. – Canada, Ir – Iraq, Pa – Pakistan. Americas: * United States, Paraguay, Suriname, French Guiana, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua-Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles (and Curaçao), Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos Islands and US Virgin Islands. East and Southeast Asia: North Africa and West/Central Asia: * Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Turkmenistan. South Asia: Sub-Saharan Africa: * Djibouti, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Niger. Europe: * Czechoslovakia (former), Slovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Norway, Croatia, Malta, Montenegro, Serbia and Montenegro (former), Slovenia, Luxembourg and Monaco. Australia and Oceania: * New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau, American Samoa, French Polynesia, Marshall Islands, Samoa and Tonga.

Total percentage of U.S racial groups by U.S region, state and overall nationally

Non-Hispanic White population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1940–2020)

Black population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1790–2020)

Many Southern U.S. states historically had African Americans compose 35% or more of their total population(s), with three of them (Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina) even having an African American majority at certain periods in their history. In contrast, the African American percentage of the total population in other parts of the U.S. (outside of the South) was historically almost always in the single digits (0.0% to 9.9%). Even after the Great Migration, no or almost no U.S. state outside of the Southern U.S. has ever had an African American percentage of its total population be greater than 16%. The Black proportion has declined since the 1990s due to

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ...

and expanding opportunities, with many Blacks moving to

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

and others migrating to jobs in states of the

New South New South, New South Democracy or New South Creed is a slogan in the history of the American South first used after the American Civil War. Reformers used it to call for a modernization of society and attitudes, to integrate more fully with the ...

in a reverse of the Great Migration.William H. Frey, "The New Great Migration: Black Americans' Return to the South, 1965–2000", The Brookings Institution, May 2004, pp.1–5 , accessed March 19, 2008

Free Blacks as a percentage out of the total Black population by U.S. region and U.S. state between 1790 and 1860

In 1865, all enslaved Blacks (African-Americans) in the United States were emancipated as a result of the Thirteenth Amendment. However, some U.S. states had previously emancipated some or all of their Black population. The table below shows the percentage of free Blacks as a percentage of the total Black population in various U.S. regions and U.S. states between 1790 and 1860 (the blank areas on the chart below mean that there is no data for those specific regions or states in those specific years). a There were no Blacks at all—either free or enslaved—in South Dakota in 1860.

Native American population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1890–2020)

The census counted 248,000 Native Americans in 1890, 332,000 in 1930 and 334,000 in 1940, including those on and off reservations in the 48 states. Total spending on Native Americans averaged $38 million a year in the late 1920s, dropping to a low of $23 million in 1933, and returning to $38 million in 1940.US Bureau of the Census, ''Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1951'' (1951) pp 14, 30

Mexican (1910–1930) and Hispanic/Latino (1940–2020) population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state

Historically, the U.S. states with the largest Mexican/Hispanic/Latino populations were primarily located in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern states,

, and

. However, the percentage of the Hispanic/Latino population has dramatically increased in many U.S. states both inside and outside the Southwest in recent decades. aThere are other estimates on this page which are a little different. These estimates here come from the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

Asian and Pacific Islander population by U.S. region and state (1860–2020)

Projections from 2020 through to 2060

The

has projected that the U.S.

White non-Hispanic Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Amer ...

population will become a minority (that is, less than half of the total U.S. population) during the 2040s, resulting in a plurality. In December 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau projected that 2043 would be the year in which the U.S. would become a

majority minority A majority-minority or minority-majority area is a term used to refer to a subdivision in which one or more racial, ethnic, and/or religious minorities (relative to the whole country's population) make up a majority of the local population. Ter ...

nation, with no single ethnic classification constituting a majority of the population. By 2060, Hispanic Americans are projected to account for about one-third of the total U.S. population. The tables present Census Bureau "middle series" projections published in May 2013.

Vital statistics of racial and ethnic groups (since 1935)

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Census Bureau Intercensal Estimates

White (including
White Hispanic White Latin Americans, or European Latin Americans, are Latin Americans who are considered white, typically due to European descent. Latin American countries have often tolerated intermarriage between different ethnic groups since the beginning ...
)

White America (of one race) from 1960 to 2020

Average population and percentage of population figures shown are slightly higher than given Census Bureau data, due to the fact that the definition of "White" in this case includes, along with Non-Hispanic Whites and White Hispanics, Hispanics who identify as "Some Other Race", but are counted as White due to the option and category of "Some Other Race" alone often not being one in CDC demographic data.

White (non-Hispanic)

The natural increase is slightly smaller than shown for non-Hispanic whites and slightly different for non-Hispanic blacks because the birth figures shown refer to mothers of that race, not the children. Most non-white babies of non-Hispanic white mothers are either Hispanic or black, and non-Hispanic black mothers occasionally have Hispanic children. On the other hand, all children born to Hispanic mothers, even if the mothers are white Hispanic, are counted as Hispanic.

Black (non-Hispanic)

Asian (including of Hispanic origin)

* The data from 2016 to 2021, exclude those of hispanic origin, and also births from the

Pacific Islanders Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

and Hawaiian.

American Indian and Alaskan Native (including of Hispanic origin)

* The data from 2016 to 2019, exclude those of hispanic origin.

Pacific Islanders and Hawaiian

''Hispanics'' (of all racial groups)

*Notes: Estimates for the population of each race by year (available starting in 2000) do not include multiracial individuals which have been "bridged" to the single-race categories for the purposes of calculating the birth and fertility rates.

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

did not start reporting Hispanic origin until 1993, and Oklahoma until 1991, so data from those states are excluded before then.

Notes

References

{{reflist, 30em Demographics of the United States History of the United States Race in the United States

Sources of data

Historical trends

Historical data for all races and for Hispanic origin (1610–2020)

Population by race and age (census 2010)

Population by race (estimates)

Immigration to the United States Immigration has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. In absolute numbers, the United States has a larger immigrant population than any other country in the worl ...

Total percentage of U.S racial groups by U.S region, state and overall nationally

Non-Hispanic White population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1940–2020)

Black population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1790–2020)

Free Blacks as a percentage out of the total Black population by U.S. region and U.S. state between 1790 and 1860

Native American population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state (1890–2020)

Mexican (1910–1930) and Hispanic/Latino (1940–2020) population as a percentage of the total population by U.S. region and state

Asian and Pacific Islander population by U.S. region and state (1860–2020)

Projections from 2020 through to 2060

Vital statistics of racial and ethnic groups (since 1935)

White (including White Hispanic White Latin Americans, or European Latin Americans, are Latin Americans who are considered white, typically due to European descent. Latin American countries have often tolerated intermarriage between different ethnic groups since the beginning ...)

White (non-Hispanic)

Black (non-Hispanic)

Asian (including of Hispanic origin)

American Indian and Alaskan Native (including of Hispanic origin)

Pacific Islanders and Hawaiian

''Hispanics'' (of all racial groups)

See also

Notes

References

White (including
White Hispanic White Latin Americans, or European Latin Americans, are Latin Americans who are considered white, typically due to European descent. Latin American countries have often tolerated intermarriage between different ethnic groups since the beginning ...
)