Ethnic and Racial Heritage women of color. Between 2000 and 2010, Hispanic women increased to 44 percent of all women of color, Of the nearly 309 million people living in the United while black non-Hispanic women decreased to States (according to the U.S. census conducted on 35 percent. April 1, 2010), more than half (157 million or 50.8 According to projections by the U.S. Census percent) were women. More than 56 million—more Bureau, the U.S. population will become more racially than a third (36.1 percent)—were women of color. and ethnically diverse by the middle of the 21st These 56.7 million women of color were distributed century. In 2043, the United States is projected to as follows: 44 percent Hispanic, 35 percent black become a majority-minority nation for the first time. (non-Hispanic), nearly 14 percent Asian (non- While the white non-Hispanic population will remain Hispanic), 2.0 percent American Indian and Alaska the largest single group, no group will make up a Native (non-Hispanic), and 0.4 percent Native Hawai- majority. The white non-Hispanic population is ian and Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic). An projected to peak in 2024, at nearly 200 million, and additional 5 percent of women of color identified then slowly decrease to 186 million in 2050, when they themselves as belonging to two or more races. In will account for 46.6 percent of the total population.3 raw numbers, there are nearly 25 million Hispanic Meanwhile, people of color are expected to total women, nearly 20 million black (non-Hispanic) women, more than 213 million in 2050, when they will more than 7 million Asian (non-Hispanic) women, account for 53.4 percent of the total population. more than 1 million American Indian and Alaska Between 2010 and 2050, the Hispanic population is Native (non-Hispanic) women, and more than projected to more than double to nearly 112 million, 246,000 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander accounting for 28 percent of the 2050 population. (non-Hispanic) women.1 The black non-Hispanic population is projected to The 2010 population reflects an increase of 27 rise to nearly 52 million over the same period, million over the 281 million people enumerated in increasing its share of the total population slightly to the 2000 census. Although women of all races and 13 percent. The Asian non-Hispanic population is ethnicities constituted equal proportions of the U.S. projected to more than double to almost 30 million in population in 2010 (50.8 percent) and in 2000 (50.9 2050, with its share of the nation’s total population percent), the more than 43 million women of color in climbing to 7.4 percent. The American Indian and 2000 were a smaller share of all women (slightly more Alaska Native non-Hispanic population would than 30 percent) than they were in 2010 (36.1 per- increase to 2.9 million, but its share of the total cent). In 2000, there were more than 18 million black population would remain at 0.7 percent. The popula- (non-Hispanic) women, more than 17 million Latina tion of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders women, more than 5.3 million Asian (non-Hispanic) (non-Hispanic) would increase to 871,000 and remain women, more than 1 million American Indian and 0.2 percent of the total population. The number of Alaska Native (non-Hispanic) women, and more than people who identified themselves as being of two or 181,000 Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander more races and non-Hispanic is expected to triple, (non-Hispanic) women.2 and its population of more than 16 million would rise Another difference between the populations in to 4.1 percent of the U.S. total. 2000 and 2010 was in the proportions of black Women of color are projected to increase in (non-Hispanic) women (41 percent in 2000) and number from 57 million in 2010 to 107 million in Hispanic women (39 percent in 2000) among all 2050. Their share of the total female population 3 ■ Women of Color Health Data Book Table 1 Population by Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States, April 1, 2010 Percentage Race Alone Percentage Race Race Alone of Total or in of Total Population Combination* Population* Total Population 308,745,538 100.0 308,745,538 100.0 American Indian 3,739,506 1.2 6,138,482 2.0 and Alaska Native Asian 15,159,516 4.9 17,676,507 5.7 Black or African American 40,250,635 13.0 43,213,173 14.0 Native Hawaiian 674,625 0.2 1,332,494 0.4 and Other Pacific Islander White 241,937,061 78.4 248,067,530 80.3 Two or more races 6,984,195 2.3 ** ** Percentage Race Alone Percentage Hispanic or Latino and Race Race Alone of Total or in of Total Population Combination* Population* Total Population 308,745,538 100.0 308,745,538 100.0 Hispanic or Latino 50,477,594 16.3 50,477,594 16.3 (of any race) Not Hispanic or Latino 258,267,944 83.7 258,267,944 83.7 American Indian 2,263,258 0.7 4,041,624 1.3 and Alaska Native Asian 14,661,516 4.7 16,795,038 5.4 Black or African American 37,922,522 12.3 40,282,810 13.0 Native Hawaiian 497,216 0.2 1,020,354 0.3 and Other Pacific Islander White 197,318,956 63.9 202,229,636 65.5 Two or more races 5,604,476 1.8 ** ** *“In combination” means in combination with one or more other races. The sum of the five race groups adds to more than the total population because individuals may report more than one race. **The population reporting two or more races is reflected within each of the designated racial/ethnic categories above. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. (2011). Table 3. Annual estimates of the resident population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the United States: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 (NC-EST2011-03). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html would increase from 36 percent to 53 percent over and Alaska Native non-Hispanic, and 0.4 percent the same period of time. Among the 107 million Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander non- women of color, more than half (51 percent) would be Hispanic.4 Hispanic, 25 percent black non-Hispanic, 15 percent Whenever possible, the population labels and Asian non-Hispanic, 8 percent women of two or more presentation of data in this volume conform to the races non-Hispanic, 1.4 percent American Indian 1997 revisions to Statistical Policy Directive No. 15, 4 Factors Affecting the Health of Women of Color ■ Table 2 Female Population by Race and Hispanic Origin for the United States, April 1, 2010 Percentage Race Alone Percentage Race Race Alone of Total or in of Total Population Combination* Population* Female Population 156,964,212 100.0 156,964,212 100.0 American Indian 1,849,811 1.2 3,083,750 2.0 and Alaska Native Asian 7,941,039 5.1 9,208,460 5.9 Black or African American 21,045,595 13.4 22,580,483 14.4 Native Hawaiian 331,721 0.2 664,743 0.4 and Other Pacific Islander White 122,238,141 77.9 125,351,477 79.9 Two or more races 3,557,905 2.3 ** ** Percentage Race Alone Percentage Hispanic or Latino and Race Race Alone of Total or in of Total Population Combination* Population* Female Population 156,964,212 100.0 156,964,212 100.0 Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 24,858,794 15.8 24,858,794 15.8 Not Hispanic or Latino 132,105,418 84.2 132,105,418 84.2 American Indian 1,147,502 0.7 2,072,064 1.3 and Alaska Native Asian 7,691,693 4.9 8,766,145 5.6 Black or African American 19,853,611 12.6 21,080,725 13.4 Native Hawaiian 246,518 0.2 512,076 0.3 and Other Pacific Islander White 100,301,335 63.9 102,803,203 65.5 Two or more races 2,864,759 1.8 ** ** *“In combination” means in combination with one or more other races. The sum of the five race groups adds to more than the total population because individuals may report more than one race. **The population reporting two or more races is reflected within each of the designated racial/ethnic categories above. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division. (2011). Table 3. Annual estimates of the resident population by sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the United States: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 (NC-EST2011-03). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics new race/ethnicity terminology was adopted by and Administrative Reporting.5 These revisions other federal agencies as of January 1, 2003. If and were issued for comment by the Office of Manage- when data are not available for some of the popula- ment and Budget (OMB) in the mid-1990s, and tion subgroups as defined in the revisions to OMB their final version has guided the data collection in Directive 15 (e.g., for Asians separate from Pacific both the 2000 and 2010 decennial censuses.