Race and Ethnicity of the U.S. Population
As the U.S. population increased, the nation became more racially and ethnically diverse. Overall, the Hispanic or Latino population increased the most in their total share of the overall population, which grew from 13.3 percent in 2002 to 19.1 percent in 2022. Although the White population continued to represent the largest racial and ethnic group in the U.S., their share of the overall population decreased from 69.1 percent in 2002 to 59.2 percent in 2022.
Report Links
Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: 2024 Status Report
Chapter One: Population Trends and Educational Attainment
Chapter One Report Download (PDF) 812 KB
Chapter One Data Tables Download (XLSX) 144 KB
Source
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2002-2022
Data Notes
In 2002, the only reported racial demographic categories were Hispanic, White, Black, American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut, and Asian or Pacific Islander.
