Nearly half of U.S. births are minorities

DURHAM, N.H., March 12 (UPI) -- Minorities accounted for 48 percent of U.S. children born in 2009, researchers found.

"Widely quoted U.S. Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by the middle of the century," Kenneth Johnson, a professor of sociology and senior demographer at the University of New Hampshire Carsey Institute, and Daniel Lichter of Cornell University said in a statement.

"Our research shows that for America's children and youth, that future is here already."

Forty-seven percent of U.S. children under age 5 and 40 percent of those in the 15-19 age group are minorities, the researchers said.

In contrast, 31 percent of people 20 and older are minorities, they said.

A key reason for the growing child diversity is the changing mix of women in their prime child-bearing years -- 20-39 years old, the study said.

Using U.S. Census data, the researchers found that from 1990-2008, the number of non-Hispanic white women in prime child-bearing years decreased 19 percent while the number of minority women increased 40 percent.

The findings are published in the journal Population and Development Review.