In a growing number of U.S. counties, a majority of residents are Hispanic or black, reflecting the nation's changing demographics.
Who is considered Hispanic in the U.S.? The most common approach to answering these questions is straightforward: Anyone who says they are. And nobody who says they aren’t.
The U.S. Hispanic population is diverse. These nearly 60 million individuals trace their heritage to Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and to Spain, each with distinct demographic and economic profiles. But as migration patterns from Latin America change, the origins of U.S. Hispanics are beginning to shift.
Overall, 293 U.S. counties were majority nonwhite in 2018. Most of these are concentrated in California, the South and on the East Coast.
Much of the downturn in the share of immigrant births to Hispanics has been driven by a decline in births among Mexican-origin women.
In 18 states and the District of Columbia, Latino children accounted for at least 20% of public school kindergarten students in 2017.
The most common age was 11 for Hispanics, 27 for blacks and 29 for Asians as of last July. Multiracial Americans were by far the youngest racial or ethnic group.
The population of Puerto Rico stood at 3.2 million in 2018, its lowest point since 1979 and down sharply from 2017.
Jeffrey S. Passel, senior demographer, on the research techniques used to derive the unauthorized immigrant population estimate in the U.S. and the challenges involved.
Four of the 10 most populous countries will no longer be among the top 10 in 2100 – and all four will be supplanted by rapidly growing African nations.
