May 17, 2012

Births of non-Hispanic white babies fell below 50 percent of all births in the United States for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. The bureau estimates that African American, Hispanic, Asian, and mixed-race births now account for 50.4 percent of all U.S. births.

Sociologists suggest that the ongoing economic slowdown that began in 2008 has contributed to a greater decline in birth rates among white people. Since 2008, the number of white births has fallen by 11.4 percent, compared with a 3.2-percent decline for minorities. “This is an important landmark,” notes Roderick Harrison, a sociologist at Howard University. “This generation is growing up much more accustomed to diversity than its elders.”

Population growth in the United States from 2000 to 2010. (World Book map)

The minority population of the United States currently makes up 36.6 percent of the total. Hispanics constitute the largest single minority–16.3 percent or 50.5 million people. However, demographers believe the Hispanic population boom has peaked. A Pew Hispanic Center survey reveals that migration to the United States from Mexico has begun to decline after 40 years of continuous growth. Sociologists again point to the sustained downturn of the U.S. economy as a major factor.

Additional World Book articles:

• Census
• Immigration
• By the Numbers: The 2010 Census (a special report)
• Economic Crisis: The Banking Meltdown (a special report)
• Economic Crisis: The Government Jumps In (a special report)
• Immigration: The Latest Wave (a special report)