New US census data shows white population shrank for first time
- Significant increases among people who identify as multiracial, Asian and Hispanic drove much of the population growth between 2010 and 2020
- Release of the data marks the start of a fierce partisan battle over redistricting that could affect which party controls the House of Representatives
New US census data released on Thursday show the white population declined for the first time in history last decade, with significant increases among people who identify as multiracial, Asian and Hispanic driving much of the population growth between 2010 and 2020.
The release from the US Census Bureau also marks the start of what will be a fierce partisan battle over redistricting, as states use the local data to begin drawing congressional and state legislative districts for the next 10 years.
The data offered a portrait of an increasingly diverse nation. The non-Hispanic white population, which remains the largest race or ethnic group, shrank by 8.6 per cent over the decade and now accounts for 57.8 per cent of the US population – the lowest share on record.
People who identify as multiracial increased by 276 per cent, from 9 million in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020.
For the first time as a US state, California’s largest ethnic group is Hispanic, at 39.4 per cent of the population, according to the data. In Texas, another large state, the non-Hispanic white population stood at 39.7 per cent, just slightly larger than the Hispanic population at 39.3 per cent.