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     The U.S. Census Bureau today released national population estimates showing that our nation is becoming older and more racially and ethnically diverse. The estimates found that nearly half (47 percent) of the nation's children younger than five were a minority in 2008, with 25 percent being Hispanic. For all children under 18, 44 percent were a minority and 22 percent were Hispanic.

     "These estimates are a prelude to the information we will collect next year in the 2010 Census, giving us an accurate portrait of our nation at the national, state and local level," said Census Bureau Acting Director Tom Mesenbourg.

     The nation's overall minority population on July 1, 2008, was 104.6 million, or 34 percent of the total population. Minorities, defined as any group other than single-race, non-Hispanic white, increased by 2.3 percent from 2007 to 2008.

     The largest and fastest-growing minority group was Hispanics, who reached 46.9 million in 2008, up by 3.2 percent from 2007. In 2008, nearly one in six U.S. residents was Hispanic.

     The Census Bureau estimates the number of Asians at 15.5 million in 2008. Asians were the second fastest-growing minority group from 2007 to 2008, increasing by 2.7 percent.

     Following Asians in growth were Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (increasing 2.4 percent to 1.1 million), American Indians and Alaska Natives (increasing 1.7 percent to 4.9 million) and blacks or African-Americans (increasing 1.3 percent to 41.1 million). The population of non-Hispanic whites who indicated no other race increased by 0.2 percent to 199.5 million.

     There were 5.2 million people who were of two or more races in 2008, up 3.4 percent from 2007.

     The U.S. population is not only becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, it is also growing older: the median age reached 36.8 in 2008, up 1.5 years since 2000. There were 38.9 million people 65 and older in 2008, comprising 12.8 percent of the total population. Of this group, 5.7 million were 85 years old and older. In 2000, 12.4 percent of the total population was 65 and older.

     As the population ages, there are relatively more women than men. For those under age 18, 51.2 percent are male, but the percentage declines to 42.4 percent for the population age 65 and older and to just 32.6 percent for the population 85 and older. Women represent 50.7 percent of the total population.

     The total number of children under age 5 was 21 million in 2008, or 6.9 percent of the total population, compared with 19.2 million and 6.8 percent in 2000.

     The number of elementary school-age children (age 5 to 13) was 36 million (11.8 percent of the total population) in 2008, down 1.3 percentage points (1 million) from 2000. In contrast, the number of high school-age children (age 14 to 17) increased, from 16.1 million and 5.7 percent of the total population in 2000 to 16.9 million, or 5.6 percent of the total population, in 2008.

     There were 191.2 million working-age adults (age 18 to 64) in 2008, representing 62.9 percent of the total population, an increase of 17.1 million and 1 percentage point from 2000.

Other highlights:

Hispanics

• The Hispanic population is much younger than the population as a whole, with a median age of 27.7 years in 2008, compared with 36.8 for the total U.S. population.
• Thirty-four percent of the Hispanic population was under 18 and 6 percent age 65 or older. The corresponding percentages for the total population were 24 percent and 13 percent.

Blacks

• The median age for blacks was 30.3 in 2008.
• About 30 percent of the black population was under age 18, while 8 percent was 65 or older.

Asians

• The median age for Asians was 34.2 as of 2008.
• Almost 26 percent of the Asian population was under age 18, while 9 percent was 65 or older.

American Indians and Alaska Natives

• The median age for American Indians and Alaska Natives in 2008 was 29.7.
• More than 30 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native population was under 18, while 8 percent was 65 or older.

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders

• The median age for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders was 27.7 in 2008.
• Almost 34 percent of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population was under 18, while 6 percent was 65 or older.

Non-Hispanic Single-Race White

• The single-race, non-Hispanic white population was much older than the population as a whole, with a median age in 2008 of 41.1.
• About 21 percent of the non-Hispanic single-race white population was under 18, while 16 percent was 65 or older.