• The Washington Post , Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:33 AM

Minorities, which currently represent about one third of the U.S. population, are expected to become a majority by 2042 and be 54% of U.S. residents by 2050, according to Census Bureau projections. The shift will happen sooner among children, 44% of whom are minority. By 2023, more than half are expected to be "minority," and by 2050, the proportion will be 62%.

The largest share of children, 39%, is projected to be Hispanic, followed by non-Hispanic whites (38%), African Americans (11%) and Asians (6%). The Hispanic population is expected to nearly triple by 2050, growing from about one in six residents to one in three. The black and Asian populations are each expected to increase about 60%, with the black share rising from 14 to 15% by 2050 and the Asian share jumping from 5 to 9%.

The number of people who identify themselves as being from two or more races is also expected to grow, more than tripling to 16.2 million, or 4% of the population. By contrast, the non-Hispanic, single-race white population is expected to grow by less than 2%, reducing its share of the overall population from 66 to 46%. However, the 65-and-older population is expected to remain mostly white because of the number of whites born during the post-World War II baby boom.

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