White America in the minority by 2050

THE estimated time when whites will no longer make up the majority of Americans has been pushed back eight years — to 2050 — because the recession and stricter immigration policies have slowed the flow of foreigners into the US.

Census Bureau projections released yesterday update last year’s prediction that white children would become a minority in 2023 and the overall white population would follow in 2042. The earlier estimate did not take into account a drop in the number of people moving into the US because of the economic crisis and the immigration policies imposed after the September 11 terror attacks.

The United States has 308 million people today; two-thirds are non-Hispanic whites. The total population should climb to 399 million by 2050, under the new projections, with whites making up 49.9% of the population. Blacks will make up 12.2%, virtually unchanged from today. Hispanics, currently 15% of the population, will rise to 28% in 2050.